Lost Country
by RougeBaron
Summary: Complete. MechWarrior x Zoids crossover. A Wolf Clan unit was stranded in Planet Zi, and struggled to get back to its unit. But Harry Champ would not let them go before using them for his own advantage: to kill Bit Cloud and get Leena. BL BrN please RR.
1. Chapter 1

**LOST COUNTRY**

**A MechWarrior – Zoids Crossover by RogueBaron**

**Note, Summary, and Legal Stuffs:**

This is a MechWarrior – Zoids crossover story, something I wanted to do for a long time, set in Zoids Century Zero universe sometimes after episode 16. The Blitz Team was scurrying towards immortality by winning the Royal Cup. Bit-Leena-Harry Champ love triangle was brewing to a boiling point, and Naomi-Brad relationship was just came to an adolescent stage. The entire cast of Zoids will be present.

In the other part of the universe, mankind was locked in a millennium-long war. For you that are not familiar with Mechwarrior universe, a part of human population had been genetically altered into war machines: ruthless warriors with lightning-fast reflexes and incredible perception of the battle. This group of people called themselves the Clans. They piloted battlemechs: giant humanoid robots with the firepower able to flatten a city block within minutes.

The main character in this story is Phaia, a young mechwarrior of Wolf Clan. Her unit, the 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy, had just escaped a twisted plan by the Jade Falcon Clan, Wolf's arc nemesis. Phaia and her unit was ordered to regroup to the rest of the Delta Galaxy, when the twist of fate sent her to Planet Zi where she had to fight a different battle in a different rule.

Can they go home? Will they survive? And can their battlemechs handle the ferocity of Zoids? Find it out in **Lost Country!**

Zoids and all its characters are copyrighted by _Cartoon Network, Hasbro, and TOMY_.  
Mechwarrior and all its components are copyright of _FASA, Wizkids, ActiVision_, and _Micro$oft_.  
The 2nd Wolf Lancers is copyright of me (_RogueBaron_).  
All right reserved.

* * *

**Chapter I **

_**Orbit of Planet Sudeten,  
**__**Jade Falcon Occupation Zone**_

Mechwarrior Phaia watched the green planet of Sudeten from the window of her jumpship, remembering her lost comrades during the last battle with Jade Falcon Clan. It was still vivid in her memory the battle for Webster, where her unit (2nd Wolf Lancers) fought the Jade Falcon Clan. Outnumbered 3-to-1, Phaia and her comrades used every resource they could find in the war-torn city, using guerilla tactics to wear down the Jade Falcons. Frustrated, the Jade Falcons asked for a winner-take-all duel, but they cheated. Phaia lost 3 close friends in the hands of the Falcons, and she managed to escape off planet.

As the planet became farther and farther, Phaia remembered the argument between her and her commander, Star Commander Darien Kerensky. Phaia always knew that the Falcons did not intend to honor the duel agreement. They were planning on something. But Darien went for it regardless, and almost lost his life. If it were not because of her, Darien would have lost his life, just like the 3 comrades. (**Note:** If you are interested in knowing more about Phaia and the 2nd Wolf Lancers, please check her adventure in **_Knights in Ferro-Fibrous Armor_**, Chapter 7-8-9, in the MechWarrior/BattleTech section).

"Mechwarrior Phaia," one of the ship's crew called her. "Star Commander Kerensky asked for your presence on the bridge."

"_Aff_," she replied shortly. "I will be there."

Phaia brought her 5'3", 110-lbs body through the corridor of the jumpship to the control room, where her commander was waiting for her. Contrast to Phaia's slim figure, Star Commander Darien Kerensky was 6' 210-lbs tower of muscle. Three more mechwarriors, even bulkier than Darien, were waiting for her as well.

"These are mechwarriors Yuri, Mikhail, and Nicolai," Darien introduced the new guys. "They are replacements for our unit. Treat them well."

"Aff, _ovkhan_," Phaia nodded. She had great respect toward her commander, and their relationship had transcended more than just superior – subordinate. She felt that Darien was more like a brother she never had (**Note**: Clan mechwarriors were not born out of women's wombs, but from genetic breeding program). They looked out for each other, although at times they had their arguments. But she was always loyal to him.

"We have our order to regroup with the rest of Delta Galaxy," Darien explained. "That means we have to jump to planet Arc Royal."

"I am ready," Phaia responded, followed by the new mechwarriors.

"Good," Darien moved to the tactical officers of the jumpship. "Engage KF jump sequence… Now."

The command center shook a little, then a bright light enveloped the dark void outside. Phaia had been in this situation a dozen times, but it was the first time she noticed there was a slight disturbance on the console of the tactical officers.

"Is there a problem, officer?" she raised her voice.

"_Neg_, _ovkhan_," the tac officer replied, a slight confusion was imminent in his voice. "Although there is an anomaly on the KF jump matrix."

"What kind of anomaly?" Darien asked.

"Unidentified problem, _ovkhan_. It seems that…"

Just then, the console exploded. Warning signs blared into the cockpit, and the explosion instantly killed the tac officer. The screens went static, and the entire ship quaked heavily.

"_Stravag!_ Officers, get a hold of our ship!" Darien sprouted his orders, but none of the tac officers responded. "Phaia, terminate the jump sequence now!"

"But commander, we could end up in a star!" Phaia protested.

"I will take that chance! Terminate jump sequence before we all blow up! Do it now!"

"_Aff!_" Phaia scrambled the console and pushed down a series of toggles. The light diminished, and when the jumpship exited the jump, a beautiful blue planet was waiting outside.

"All hands, find our coordinates," Darien stated. "I want to know our position."

"Aff, _ovkhan_," Yuri and Nikolai scrambled the console beside Phaia. "This is strange. Our radar could not pick up the coordinate."

"Damage assessment?"

"None present. All circuits function in perfect condition. But this planet is not recorded in any history of mankind. I think," Phaia paused a brief moment before stating the inevitable, "I think we are lost in uncharted territory, _ovkhan_."

"Uncharted territory? It is impossible," Darien grumbled. "Is that your official statement, Phaia?"

"I am afraid it is."

"Can we reroute the KF jump sequence to Arc Royal? Strana Mechty? Or go back to Sudeten?"

"If we know our current position, we can do that," Mikhail grumbled. "The problem is we do not know where we are."

"Yuri, find out what caused the explosion," Darien ordered. "Mikhail, keep working on our coordinate. Nicolai, try to make contact with Delta Galaxy. I want results in an hour. Phaia, come with me."

Phaia followed Darien to the corner of the command center, away from the three new recruits. Darien pointed at the blue planet and whispered, "What do you think of that planet? Would it shed some light on where we are?"

"If there are intelligent lives down there, then _aff_, there are answers," Phaia replied matter-of-factly.

"I think so too," Darien mused. "Prepare your battlemech. You and I are going down to find it out."

"Consider it done," Phaia nodded her approval.

* * *

_Some Clan languages:_

Aff - yes  
Neg - no  
Ovkhan - Sir  
Stravag - Damn (or any other cussing expressing surprise or disappointment)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

Romeo City, Planet Zi 

"Bit Cloud!" Harry Champ stabbed the steak with his fork. "Bit Cloud! How to make him disappear, Sebastian? Think! I want him out of commission, out of this planet, out of this life! Come on, Benjamin! Give me ideas! I want Bit to be gone, so Leena will be mine and mine alone!"

"The source of Bit's power is his Zoids, master Harry," Benjamin mused. "As for this day, few can match the _Liger Zero_. If we can beat the Liger Zero, Bit will lose enormous confidence. Thus Leena will leave him."

"How?" Harry jammed his steak knife into the meat, thinking it was Bit he was stabbing all along. "Tell me something I don't know already! How can I beat the _Liger Zero_?"

"We need an Ultimate-X!" Sebastian suggested. "Words on the street say the Backdraft group is working on their own Ultimate-X. Maybe we can borrow it for a day to beat Liger Zero."

"This plan has two major flaws," Benjamin rebuked. "First, it is a rumor. Second, if it is true, then how can you expect the Backdraft to lend their Ultimate-X?"

"Pay them," Sebastian defended his idea. "Master Harry has enough money to buy the entire Romeo City. Surely the Backdraft will be impressed by his money."

"Shut up!" Harry yelled. "Your idea sucks! Just shut up and let me eat in peace!"

Suddenly a fireball fell from the sky in the distance. It looked like a meteor, but it descended slowly as if it had some gravity-defying mechanism. It hovered in the sky for several minutes before disappearing behind a hill, only 5 clicks away from the restaurant where Harry, Benjamin and Sebastian sat.

"What the hell is that?" Harry mumbled, a piece of meat fell off his mouth.

"It looked like a meteor, but it's not really," Sebastian coined something logical. "A UFO?"

"Perhaps a Zoids… an Ultimate-X," Benjamin strayed further. "Master Harry, what should we do?"

"Get your Zoids!" Harry quickly got up from his chair. "If this is an Ultimate-X, I wanna be the first one to see it! Maybe this is my chance to beat Bit Cloud in his own game!"

Harry mounted his _Iron Kong_ and quickly drove it to the hill where he last saw the strange meteor. Benjamin and Sebastian followed him in their _Gordos_. Together they climbed the hill, and on the other side of the hill laid a strange object like a gigantic egg. Scorching marks adorned its hull, a clear sign of atmospheric burn. But beneath the soot it was visible that the object was made of metal.

"What is this thing?" Benjamin croaked. "Some kind of a space ship?"

Suddenly a part of the object rumbled open, and two strange Zoids climbed down. The tall one was a slim humanoid-looking robot, with a sinister grin on its face and two fat, short-barreled cannons for its arms. The shorter one was a thin box with bird-like legs, but sported a menacing cannon on its right arm. Multiple barrels of smaller-caliber guns were visible on its left.

"Attention, this is Star Commander Darien Kerensky, 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy," the tall Zoids spoke over the external speaker. "However in charge here, step forward to discuss your unconditional surrender."

"What?" Harry gagged. "Who are you? What kind of Zoids you have there?"

"You speak nonsense, _freebirth!_" the strange Zoids spoke again. "Exit your battlemech and surrender, or you will face grave consequences!"

"Battle… what? Do you know who I am? This is Harry Champ, a man destined to be the king! How dare you insult me in your pathetic Zoids! My _Iron Kong_ will crush that beer can in less than 5 seconds!"

"They issued the challenge, _ovkhan_," a female voice echoed from the short Zoids. "Let me take this one. I, mechwarrior Phaia of the 2nd Wolf Lancers, hereby stand in defiant of your challenge! I will crush you beneath my _Shadow Cat_! I take you, _Iron Kong_ pilot, in a Trial of Possession! Should you lose, your life is mine, and vice versa! Let no one interfere!"

"_Shadow Cat_? Never heard of that Zoids before," Benjamin thought. "These guys might not be Zoidians. Master Harry, be careful…"

Before Benjamin could finish his sentence, the jury appeared on scene, confused a little about the appearance of the strange Zoids, but continued anyway, "Then it is settled! Battle Mode 982 between Harry Champ of the Champ Team and…"

An emerald beam leapt from the tall Zoids' chest, singeing the mechanical jury as it hovered above Harry. The jury caught fire, sputtering and spiraling out of control until it crashed to the ground.

"She asked for no interference!" the tall Zoids thundered. "Are you deaf, _freebirth_, or is there no honor left on your blood?"

"Holy crap!" Harry bit his tongue in nervousness. "I can't believe they just burnt the jury! Who the hell are these guys? Benjamin, Sebastian, open fire! Kill them all!"

Missiles and ballistics raced from the twin _Gordos_, peppering the so-called _Shadow Cat_ with murderous shots. But the short Zoids skyrocketed into the sky, leaving two pillars of smoke. The tall Zoids burst into the open, firing green streaks from its torso. It raised both arms and fired, sending clustered munitions at Benjamin's _Gordos_. Zoids parts flew into the air as Benjamin's _Gordos_ twisted. The shots opened up a gash on the _Gordos'_ left side, forcing the Zoids to roll into the ground.

Harry hit his trigger, sending his heat-seeking missiles toward the _Shadow Cat_. It lowered its torso really low, almost bracing the ground, letting Harry's missiles flew above its torso and exploded harmlessly 50 meters behind it. Then it sent its answer: a hypersonic rail slug that hit the _Iron Kong_ squarely on the center. Harry had never been hit that hard before. The _Iron Kong_ hunkered down, sending Harry to his console. His head smashed into his HUD, blurring his vision.

Meanwhile, Sebastian launched everything he had at the tall Zoids, whose name still escaped him. The humanoid Zoids twisted left and right, and most of Sebastian's attacks missed. But few of them hit the Zoids, and it stepped back groggily. Sebastian pressed the attack, but suddenly the Zoids' twin cannons flickered, and next thing he knew, his _Gordos_ was mutilated.

Harry Champ fired the entire arsenal of his _Iron Kong_, but the _Shadow Cat_ always found a room to dodge his attack. It blasted its jets to fly over Harry's head, then sank another slug at Harry's torso. Warning sign screamed into his ear as sparks burst from the console. Cable dangled from the ceiling, and the _Iron Kong_ quickly lost power. In a desperate move, Harry launched his missiles, but the _Shadow Cat_ easily sidestepped his rushed attack. Two bright laser beams grilled the remaining armor in his chest, and the hypersonic slug went into the internal structure unopposed. The _Iron Kong_ slumped to the ground like a log.

"Benjamin? Sebastian?" Harry called his companions in panic. "Where are you?"

He climbed out of his dead Zoids, only to see the bitter truth. The two _Gordos_ had been destroyed, and there were no sign of Benjamin and Sebastian. The two mysterious Zoids were still standing, weakened by the short battle, but were nevertheless intact. The one called _Shadow Cat_ walked closer until its feet touched the head of the _Iron Kong_, while the tall one stayed in the distance. The canopy squeaked open, and a slim blonde girl jumped down. She walked toward Harry, her eyes spurting coldness and arrogance that buckled Harry's knees.

"My name is Phaia," the young woman said. "And I claim you as my bondsman. You know serve the 2nd Wolf Lancers under my direct command. But defy me once, _freebirth_, and I will make you regret you meet me."

* * *

_Some Clan epithet:_

Freebirth - a derogatory Clan epithet, the most obscene nickname for someone that a Clan warrior deems inferior  
Bondsman - POW bound by honor


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

**Note:**Thanks to **_SulliMike23_** and _**Death Jester**_ for the reviews. I made a mistake on the last chapter. Phaia is supposed to have a _Shadow Cat_, not _Shadow Hawk_. For those that knows BattleTech/Mechwarrior, _Shadow Hawk_ is not a Clan mech. I fixed the mistake, and I apologize for readers that have been confused by it.

* * *

_**Blitz Team Headquarters,  
**__**Planet Zi**_

Leena Taros stretched idly on her bed. The sun stroked her face with its warmth, inducing a smile on her face. It was not usual for her to wake up that happy. But that day was different. That day the Blitz Team would face off with the Fuzzy Panda Team. A solid, though weak team. Battle always pumped her up with adrenaline. So Leena sprung up from her bed and went to the living room with great anticipation of the upcoming battle.

Coming to the fridge, Leena propped the door open and realized that the only jug of milk had been vanished. Leena slammed the door with grunt. There could only one 'thing' in Blitz Team that could push her rage way over the edge…

"BIT!!" she screamed from the top of the lung. "Where's my milk?"

"What? Your milk?" Bit Cloud yelled back with a glint of panic. "How am I supposed to know it's yours?"

"Get over here and bring back my milk!"

"Hey, Jamie got the milk with me…"

"Wha… Jamie??"

"No!" another voice echoed. "Bit! Don't drag me into your fuss!"

"Hey, would you shut up?" suddenly Brad howled from the TV room. "I'm watching TV!"

"What's the deal?" Leena snorted, she felt everybody agitated her. "It's the same news everyd…"

"Shut up!" Brad raised his voice and turned the volume way up. The TV was broadcasting a disaster on the outer rim of Romeo City. Technicians, cops, and firefighters gathered around the remnants of two _Godos_ and a mechanical judge. Sebastian and Benjamin were being excavated from wreckage, badly mutilated like their _Godos_, but nevertheless alive. Sebastian babbled about strange Zoids from outer space, while Benjamin kept everything to himself. Their master, Harry Champ, was nowhere to be seen.

"My… God!" Leena exclaimed. "What could possibly do this to the judge? Who in Planet Zi is stupid enough to hit the judge?"

"Whatever they are, I thank them," Bit commented. "The time is nigh for the Champ Team…"

"They?" Brad interrupted. "How do you assume that there were many of them?"

"You don't assume that a rogue Zoid pulls this off, do you?" Bit quipped, referring to the destruction scene on TV. "Harry and his goons are stupid, but two _Godos_ and an _Iron Kong_ are still a lot of firepower."

"Nobody has seen anything," Jamie joined in. "For now, let's focus on our upcoming match against…"

"Sorry to disappoint you," suddenly Doc Taros entered the room. "ZBC just announced that no sanctioned match allowed until this matter clears. What happened to them, could happen to any of us. I agree with ZBC. Until this matter clears, it's better for us to defend ourselves against any danger."

"You don't suggest that this is some kind of Neo-Helic-Guylos thing, do you Dad?" Leena asked.

"Again, nobody knows what truly happened," Doc Taros took a deep breath. "For now, let's just cool off, open our eyes and ears, and don't do anything stupid."

Doc Taros left the room. Jamie shook his head and went back to the garage to some modification he left earlier. Bit took a place beside Brad, succumbing himself deeper into the news cast. Leena hushed, aggravated by the annulled match, and headed to the bathroom to take her belated morning shower.

_  
Later that night… _

Brad Hunter groaned in frustration as his phone rang. It was still dark, and Brad knew it was still dawn, at least. He reached for the phone, eyes still closed, and punched the receiver before bringing the handset to his ears, "Brad Hunter…"

"Brad? It's Naomi. Sorry to wake you up…"

"Oh hey, Naomi, I'm not sleeping," Brad fibbed through his teeth. "What are you doing this late?"

"Do you remember the judge that got shot? A member of The Sand Stingray took a snapshot of the culprits, and is drinking at Rivlin's tavern on Romeo City."

Brad got up, his eyes wide open, "How do you get this information so fast?"

"I have my resources," Naomi replied, half whispering. "I'm going to the tavern. Meet me there if you want to know the mystery behind this."

"Don't start without me," Brad hopped from his bed, put the receiver back and donned his jacket. He didn't even care to wear a proper suit. He tiptoed to the hangar, then climbed his _Command Wolf_. Brad slammed his foot on the pedal, bringing the _Command Wolf _jumped forward and dashed into the blackness of the dawn.

Fifteen minutes later, Brad arrived at Rivlin's tavern. The dawn was breaking, splintering reddish strands of light throughout the city. Though it was still mostly dark, Brad had no difficulty in finding Naomi's _Gun Sniper _parked across the street. He headed there, put his _Command Wolf_ in idle, and jumped down. Naomi waited on the ground with a smile. Together they walked into the tavern. It was closing. Chairs were stacked up on the tables, and two men were moping the floor. Broken glass and bottles were scattered here and there, a close reminiscent of bar fightings on some old western movie. On the edge of the counter sat a man, drunk heavily, but still wouldn't quit tormenting himself with liquor.

"Oh, no," the man said upon Brad and Naomi's arrival. "Not you! Go away! I have enough demons for one day!"

"You still bear us in mind, I reckon," Brad said calmly, taking a seat at the man's left. "I'm flattered. I don't even remember who you are."

"What do you want?" the man barked hoarsely, his breath made Naomi wanted to throw up. "You lowly scums! Why don't you take off and mind your own business!"

"We know you have the picture of the Zoids that shot the judge," Naomi stated. "We want to see them."

"Who told you that?" the man cringed. "Maybe you should check your source."

"Maybe you should watch your mouth when you're drinking too much," Naomi replied. "We can wait until you eventually slip, but why don't you just make everything easier for all of us."

The man looked at Naomi, then at Brad, then at Naomi again. If there was still a common sense left in his alcohol-laden head, it kicked in. "You want the picture? Fine. Give me a missile launcher for my Zoid, and you can have the picture."

"How about another round?" Brad said, shoving money into the bartender's palm. "Two more for this gentleman. He's in an awful lot of stress."

"Brad!" Naomi gave Brad a nasty look, but Brad gave her a wink in return.

"Alright, I bought you two more vodka," Brad said as the bartender arrived with a couple of vodka-filled glasses. "The finest vodka over Romeo City. That's got to worth more than a measly missile launcher that you asked."

"Alright," the man quaffed the first glass, obviously impaired by the alcohol, then took out a rumpled photo from his jacket. "That's the Zoids that took the judge down. We thought it was an ordinary _Iron Kong_. It was almost as big as an _Iron Kong_, but moved with fluidity of a _Lightning Saix_. And the small one… it didn't have wings, but it could fly. They swept the Champ Team in less than 5 minutes. Then they took the Champ guy into their thing and flew away."

Naomi picked the picture out of his hand. A small gasp escaped her lips.

"What's wrong?" Brad wondered. "Naomi? Let me see the picture!"

Naomi handed in the picture. "Whatever it is, it's not an _Iron Kong_! I've never seen the small one either."

Brad observed the picture and tried to bring the catalog of Zoids into his mind, but nothing in his knowledge resembled the Zoids in the picture. He gave up, and went into a supernatural mode as an alternative to explain the picture, "What do you think it is?"

"My guess is as good as yours," Naomi replied, dumbfounded. "Perhaps it is the time to ask Doctor Taros. He's the Zoid master. He might have heard some snippets about these ugly guys."

Brad didn't say a thing, but he complied with Naomi's suggestion. Together they walked out of the tavern toward their Zoids, then made their way to the Blitz Team base.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV **

**Note:** This part is largely based on _**Death Jester's**_ suggestion. Putting Harry in a battlemech is an interesting idea, so I'll do it and see how I can make it interesting. Thanks _**Death Jester**_.

* * *

**_2nd Wolf Lancer Jumpship,  
Orbit of Planet Zi _**

Phaia didn't know how many times her hand grazed her sidearm, willing to put a bullet in Harry's head. He was still a kid, but his attitude disgusted her. Only the pride of being a Wolf Clan prevented her from drilling a hole in Harry's forehead, or mangling his face for that matter. Phaia always thought that the _freeborns_ were barbarians, but this one was a genetic garbage.

"Who do you work for? Where is the rest of your unit?" Phaia steamed up. "Speak the truth, _freebirth_, or you will suffer greatly!"

"How many times I have to tell you? I am Harry Champ, the man destined to be the king! I work for nobody! Do you think you can get anything by kidnapping me? My sister will get you! An army of Zoids will rescue me and stomp you to bits!"

"You are no king, _freebirth!_" Phaia hissed, her blood boiling. "You are just a barbarian scum! You are not worth the glory of the Wolf! Stand up and fight! I, Mechwarrior Phaia, challenge you in a Trial of Grievance! Let there be no bondholder or bondsman for this point forward, and let nobody interfere!"

Phaia knew her reason to summon Trial of Grievance was bogus, but she was fed up by Harry's pomposity. She wanted to beat him to pulp, letting him know that she was the one in charge. She removed her belt and stripped her jacket, exposing her slim but well-built biceps. She grabbed Harry's collar and dragged him across the room.

"Wait, wait, wait," Harry whined, fear blossomed in his eyes. "What do you mean Trial of…"

"Get up and fight, _freebirth!_" Phaia's voice echoed. "Prove your worth as the king you claim you are, or die like a dog that you are fit to be!"

"Please, can we talk about this?" Harry was greatly intimidated by Phaia. "I have a lot of money. Name what you want, and I'll make sure my sister will grant your wish. Just let me go."

"To fight is the only way to get yourself out, you barbarian scum!" Phaia snarled, assuming a fighting position. "Do not shield your weakness under a blanket of money!"

Being called weak flared Harry a little. He lunged forward, screaming as he skyrocketed his fist toward Phaia's face. But Phaia easily slipped under Harry's arm, then sank a good uppercut into Harry's stomach, right under his right ribcage. Harry's eyes bugged out, rolling into the back of his head as his mouth gaped wide open. He rolled into the ground, gasping, wheezing, and coughing while rubbing his stomach. "Oh my god, why did you do this to me? I didn't do anything to deserve this…"

Phaia's wish to get a good brawl didn't materialize, and it made her mad. Seeing Harry crying and begging for mercy made her sick, and she didn't want to see him again. "You are not worth the glory of the Wolf, bondsman," she gnarled, cocking her right arm. "Hereby I will do you _bondsref_!"

Before Phaia punished Harry for being Harry, a strong hand stopped her arm. Again, her wish to appease her bloodlust was denied, and she exploded, seeing it was her star commander that stopped her. "Ovkhan! How dare you interfered with my Trial of Grievance!"

"We are Wolves, Phaia," Darien spoke firmly. "We do not pride ourselves in brutality like the Jade Falcons do. Besides, we need him. He is our only bridge between Arc Royal and the strange world under us."

"He is my bondsman!" Phaia roared. "I am the one that is responsible with his life!"

"And I am your commander!" Darien yelled back. "This ship - and its mission - is my responsibility, including you! We are two days behind Delta Galaxy, and my job is to get us back to Wolf ranks. Then, and only then, you can _bondsref_ your bondsman as you deem fit. If you cannot understand this, Phaia, then I have no choice but to declare a Trial of Possession over your bondsman."

Phaia always knew that Darien had a better perception of wars than her, and she hated it when he was right. She hated the fact that Harry Champ would share the same room, the same food, and the same water with her. A man with that low quality did not even deserve to live; such was her perception. But like it or not, Harry was important to their survival. So she stepped back and let Darien take control of the situation, saying, "It is not my place to question you, commander. Accept my _rede_."

"Just get him up," Darien replied. Phaia and Nikolai heaved Harry off the floor, sobbing like a girl, and coerced him to sit on a chair. Phaia grabbed her pistol and pushed the nozzle on Harry's temple, while Darien came to Harry's presence.

"Where are we?" the star commander asked.

"What are you talking about?" Harry bemoaned. "You guys confuse the hell out of me."

"Then use your brain," Darien replied. "We talk different than you. We look different than you. We have different battlemechs than you. If you have even the scantest intelligence, then answer me: Where are we?"

Slowly Harry grasped what was going on. These guys were not indigenous of Planet Zi. He realized he was taken prisoner by a race of aliens that came to Zi, and they would enslave the Zoidians, or maybe even kill them all. Cold sweat beaded in his forehead. "What are you going to do to us?"

"We will do you no harm," Darien explained. "My name is Star Commander Darien Kerensky, 2nd Wolf Lancers, Delta Galaxy, Wolf Clan. Your bondholder is mechwarrior Phaia, my second-in-command. Others are mechwarrior Nikolai, Yuri, and Mikhail. We are going to Arc Royal, but our jump sequence went bad and we are stranded here. This planet of yours has no registered coordinate, so we cannot plot a jump sequence. We are not interested in your planet. All we want is to go home."

"Oh really?" Harry's eyes widened. He witnessed the firepower of their 'battlemechs', and he knew what they could do to the Zoidians. He thought he just found a solution to his own problem. "So you need my help. Why didn't you say so? I can help you, but if I do, can I have one of those 'battlemechs' you have?"

Phaia shook her head, signaling that she was totally against the idea of putting her bondsman on a battlemech. She had not trusted Harry enough. But she knew Darien was pressed to save his star mates. To him, a battlemech worth nothing compared to the lives of his subordinates. Before Darien could say anything, she said, "You will be handsomely rewarded, freebirth, if reward is what you are after. But your reward is commensurate with your worthiness. First, prove yourself to us. Such is the way of the Clans."

"Hmm…" a conceited smirk bloomed on Harry's face. "I know just the guy who can help you."

* * *

_Some Clan epithet:_

bondsref - to kill a bondsman deemed incompetent, weak, or too low to become a part of the Clan.  
rede - the right of forgiveness, apology.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V **

_**Blitz Team Headquarters,  
**__**Planet Zi**_

It was morning when Brad and Naomi jumped down their Zoids and walked down the corridor toward Steven Taros' room. The rest of the Blitz Team were clearly sleeping, otherwise Bit and Leena would have been fighting over food. The Doctor was just about to go to the bathroom when Brad called for him, "Hey Doc, you have a minute?"

"Guys?" Doc Taros frowned. "What are you guys doing this early?"

"One of the Sand Stingrays took a picture of the zoids that shot the ZBC judge," Naomi said while giving the picture. "We just met the guy. They don't look like anything we know. Do you have any idea what kind of Zoids those are?"

Doc Taros held the picture, his face contorted in total confusion, and muttered, "Interesting."

"What?" Brad lost his patience. "What is it?"

Doc Taros replied with a hand gesture, asking Brad and Naomi to follow him to his workroom. Brad and Naomi stared at each other, yet they followed the middle-aged man. Entering the room, Doc Taros slammed his body onto his chair and skimmed books of Zoids specs. He did that until he exhausted himself. But the cloud in his face told Brad and Naomi that the good doctor didn't find what he was looking for.

"Interesting designs," Doc Taros puffed a heavy sigh. "I have never seen things like these. Look at the anti-symmetrical design. It almost seems that these two Zoids didn't come from Planet Zi."

"What are you saying?" Naomi mused. "Do you think they're aliens?"

"I don't know," the doc replied. "I don't want to believe aliens, but there's no other logical explanation. These alien Zoids shot the ZBC judge because they didn't know the rule of sanctioned combat in Planet Zi. They abducted Harry Champ to study the inhabitants. They're studying us, and when they're ready, they'll send their force to take over Planet Zi."

"Don't you think you're taking it too far?" Brad quipped. "Could it be just another Zoids from the past? You know, the ocean is deeper than anybody's guess. Nobody knows how many Zoids lied there to recover."

"Good point, Brad," Doc Taros looked at the photo one more time. "Although you don't explain why these Zoids are different than typical Zoids. I mean, look at them. Don't you feel the difference?"

Naomi was about to grab the photo when Doc Taros' door sprung open. Two men appeared, wearing dull tan t-shirt with a red wolf emblem, and dark brown pants with matching boots. One of them was the same height as Brad, but bulkier. The other one was almost half a foot taller, and packed even more muscles than the other. But the bigger one was significantly younger than the shorter, giving a clear hint who was in charge.

"My name is Star Commander Darien Kerensky, 2nd Wolf Lancer," the shorter one stated. "This is Mechwarrior Yuri, my star mate. I have a problem that necessitates the expertise of Doctor Taros. I come here to kindly ask for Doctor Taros' assistance. However, if my request is not met, I will motion for the Trial of Possession."

"What the…" Doc Taros blabbered, then he realized that these two strange men were possibly the pilots of the mysterious Zoids. "You… you are…" he got up, but his words caught in his throat.

"You're the ones that blew the ZBC judge!" Brad realized it too. "You filth! You defiled the sanctity of Zoids sanctioned battle! How dare you come here and speak nonsense in front of Doctor Taros!"

"Is that a denial?" Darien spread his legs in a fighting stance. "Would you prefer to step into the Circle of Equal, then?"

"Everybody calm down!" Doctor Taros got up, sweating in nervousness. "Brad, let me handle this!"

But Naomi had already picked up the letter opener from Doc Taros' table, just for a precaution. However, Yuri saw Naomi's act as an aggression. He flipped and fired a roundhouse kick at Naomi's chest. A heavy thud echoed, and Naomi's body jerked behind, slamming into Doc Taros' table before slouching to the ground.

"Yuri, stand down!" Darien yelled. "Do not make the first move!"

But it was too late. Naomi rose from under the table, breathing heavily, then jammed the letter opener at Yuri's thigh. A low growl escaped Yuri's lips, much to Naomi's surprise. As if he didn't feel anything, Yuri towered over Naomi, and the red-cladded girl could only watch as Yuri's fist zipped toward her face, taking away her consciousness in a barbaric punch.

"Naomi!" Brad yelped. "You bastards! You'll pay for that!"

He cocked his arm and lunged forward, using his right arm as a club to hit Darien. But Darien deftly lowered his posture, letting Brad's careless punch flew above his head. Then he sank his own fist into Brad's solar plexus. Brad felt as if his breath left him. His vision tunneled into black dot as he keeled over, fighting for his breath. Darien grabbed Brad's neck, then shoved him toward the door. Brad's forehead slammed into the door, and his limp body glided over the room before slumping under a chair.

"I wish I did not have to use physical attack, Doc Taros, but your guards did not give us a chance," Darien said while advancing toward the Blitz Team leader.  
"They're not my guards!" Doc Taros replied, half yelling. "They're my fighters! You can…

Doc Taros never finished his sentence. Yuri's fist turned him silent.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI **

_**Outside Blitz Team Headquarters,  
**__**Planet Zi**_

"Phaia, Doctor Taros had been retrieved," Darien's voice crackled in Phaia's comlink. "We engaged Taros' bodyguards. Yuri is injured, and the rest of Taros' guards are hot in pursuit. Provide cover fire, enemy battlemechs are launching."

"_Aff_, ovkhan," Phaia zeroed in on the hangar door, 800 meters away from her position. Through her power scope she could see Darien and Yuri jumped into the buggy, dragging the unconscious body of Doctor Taros. Indistinctly she could hear the siren, and several people tried to chase Darien and Yuri. But the Clan mechwarriors were faster, leaving the chasers dumbfounded when they rolled in their buggy. But the Clansmen advantage didn't last long. Three strange battlemechs emerged from the hangar. One looked like a giant mechanical tiger, followed by a dinosaur-type battlemechs with multiple launchers. The last one looked like flying reptile. All three beast-like battlemechs chased Darien and Yuri, and they quickly closing the gap with the buggy.

"Miss Phaia, the _Liger Zero_ is the most dangerous Zoids," Harry said from the compartment behind the command couch of her _Shadow Cat_. "It can destroy all of us in one sweep. I suggest double-team it."

"Do you suggest that I break Clan honor, bondsman?" Phaia hissed with disgust. "I will overlook your comment because you obviously do not know anything about our way. But if you make one more suggestion like that, I will _bondsref_ you! And damn Ovkhan Darien if he objects!"

"But I have to warn you, Miss Phaia. The _Liger Zero_ is really dangerous. Not even your battlemechs can stand against it. You have to act quick before your commander falls victim to it."

Phaia watched the so-called _Liger Zero_ sprinted with incredible speed, and it would reach Darien and Yuri within a minute. She switched target to the _Liger's_ shoulder, but for a moment her Clan rectitude kicked in. If she ordered the attack, she would initiate dishonorable attack. She could be banished from Wolf's military. But if she didn't, Darien and Yuri would die.

Phaia hesitated, torn between saving her commander or keeping true to the spirit of the Wolf. Not knowing better thing to do, she put her crosshair on the _Liger Zero's_ neck, then fired her Gauss rifle. The nickel-ferrous slug zipped past the vast plain. The _Liger Zero_ leapt into the air, missing her marksmanship by a mere millimeter. Phaia gasped in utter awe. Already an accomplished sniper, Phaia had almost never missed. Only the best of the best, or the luckiest of the luckiest, had slipped from her deadly Gauss rifle. But the _Liger Zero_ dodged her with grace she had never seen in her entire life. What kind of battlemech was it? But she guessed the _Liger Zero_ was not a kind of battlemech. Harry kept calling it Zoids.

"Just how good this Zoids are?" Phaia asked.

"About the same as your average battlemechs," Harry replied. "But _Liger Zero_ is different. It's an Ultimate-X, meaning it's integrated with Organoid system, making it faster and more resp…"

"I do not have time for technical detail, bondsman!" Phaia yelled. "How do I beat it?"

"Concentrate fire on the _Liger Zero_," Harry's voice was riddled with hatred. "It's the only way."

"_Stravag_ with honor!" she finally made up her mind. "All hands! Open fire at the _Liger Zero!_"

Mikhail and Nikolai's _Timber Wolves_ fired salvos of missiles. The _Liger Zero_ quickly reversed direction, dodging the missiles with unbelievable speed. Only a couple missiles slammed into the _Liger's_ back, others Phaia had never seen a battlemech moved as fast as the _Liger Zero_. It was as if the quadruped battlemech had a mind of its own. She trailed it again, waiting for Mikhail and Nikolai to mount the next salvos. As the Liger was busy dodging Mikhail and Nikolai's missiles, Phaia put the crosshair on the _Liger's_ neck. As it jumped, Phaia mashed the trigger. The _Liger_ still had time to roll, but this time, its maneuver was limited. Phaia's slug buried itself in _Liger's_ shoulder. The beast roared, rolling on the ground, as if it could feel the slug lodging into its metal flesh. But it leapt again, missing Mikhail and Nikolai's next attack.

Phaia cursed mentally.

Meanwhile, the dinosaur-like battlemech, or Zoid, started launching its own missiles with ferocity matching those of the twin _Timber Wolves_. Half of the missiles smashed Nikolai's left torso, twisting the battlemech in a demented howl. Mikhail turned to avenge his mate, but the bird-like Zoid dipped down and surged its razor-sharp claws on Mikhail's _Timber Wolf_. A bad gash cracked open on the _T-Wolf's_ back, and if Mikhail didn't lowered his head, the bird's claws would have chopped his head also.

"Freebirth scums! They are using physical attack!" Mikhail roared.

"Keep your pressure on the _Liger Zero!_" Phaia screamed her order while lining up her crosshair on the dinosaur-like Zoid. "I will take care of the others."

"No, wait a minute Miss Phaia," Harry suddenly protested. "Be careful with the _Gun Sniper_…"

"Silent, _freebirth_!" Phaia snorted, then waited several seconds before firing her Gauss rifle at the dinosaur's midriff. The so-called _Gun Sniper_ jerked, taken aback by the ferocity of the Gauss slug. It tottered in a punch-drunk gait, then slumped to the ground.

"Oh, crap! You just killed Leena!" Harry whined.

But Phaia ignored him and focused on the flying Zoid that was harassing Mikhail and Nikolai. She aimed her Gauss rifle at one of the wing of the flying Zoid, then fired off. The Gauss slug blasted the flying Zoid, maiming its right wing just under the body. The bird-like Zoid twisted and spiraled, but refused to go down. It resumed attacking the _Timber Wolves_ with its talons.

Phaia exhaled sharply, waiting for his Gauss rifle to reload, then targeted the left wing of the flying Zoid. The 125-kilo nickel-ferrous slug breached the left wing, ripping it apart at the juncture. The bird-like Zoid squawked and spiraled down the ground, creating an extended crater as it grazed the land. It flapped its remaining wing, still trying to get airborne, but one limping wing was not enough to lift it off the ground.

"Now you, _Liger Zero_," Phaia twisted her torso, putting her crosshair squarely on the white Zoid, and pushed her throttle to maximum. "Let see if you can handle my Gauss slugs."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII **

_**Outside Blitz Team Headquarters,  
**__**Planet Zi**_

"Leena! Jamie! Is everybody alright?"

Bit Cloud twisted his neck, seeing Leena's _Gun Sniper_ and Jamie's _Raynos_ slipped off his vision one by one. From the corner of his eyes he saw the _Raynos_ skidded on the ground, creating a swath of dirt as it went. Leena was nowhere to be seen, and the only trace of her was the tip of her _Gun Sniper's_ tail.

The buggy that stole Dr. Taros went farther and farther, but Bit lost interest in the pursuit. All he wanted was to go back and made sure Leena was alright. Well, Jamie too, but especially Leena. But the two strange Zoids would not let him go. They pressed their advances, firing waves after waves of missiles from their oversized missile launchers. Bit had to use his primal instinct to dodge their attacks.

"You really wanna fight, strangers?" Bit yelled. "_Liger Zero_… fire Shock Cannons!"

The twin cannons of the _Liger Zero_ flashed. One of the strange Zoids tried to dodge to its right, but proved too slow for the shock cannons. The plasma stream bombarded its side armor, putting a hole on the armor, but it shrugged off the attack and kept coming.

"Who are these people?" Bit grumbled, pushing his joystick forward. "Laser Strike Claw!"

_Liger Zero_ leapt into the air, defying multiple laser hits, then sank its claws on the shoulder of one enemy Zoids. It lost control and reeled to the ground, its right missile launcher dug deep into the soil. As it squirmed and gunned its engine to get up, Bit fired the Shock Cannons one more time. The strange Zoid lurched to its right, snapped its legs, then crashed to the ground.

The other strange Zoids threw everything it got at the _Liger Zero_. A hail of laser strands and missiles fell upon the _Liger Zero_ from every direction, and for once, seemed to be able to overwhelm the white Zoid a bit. _Liger Zero_ staggered, but not for long. It jumped into the air, claws glowing in glorious gold, the clobbered the Zoids right at the right shoulder. The claws ripped the armor of the right torso, made ways through the engine and magazine storage, overloaded the power generators and lit up the entire torso like fireworks. Its hexagonal lower arm clanged to the ground. Smoke billowed from the stump where the arm was several while ago.

_Liger Zero_ touched down, curled up in a ball to fire up another attack when a massive hit forced it to lurch. Bit gritted his teeth as the hit shook up his cockpit. The Liger roared and teetered, gaining control but bleeding oil from its right side. Bit knew that his friend was hit hard, and he quickly found the culprit: a strange Zoids, 650 meters away. Bit could tell that the Zoid was considerably smaller than _Liger Zero_, and one strike could dispose it, but its razor-sharp marksmanship brought his memory back several months ago when he battled Naomi Fluegel.

The one-armed Zoid launched everything it had left, peppering _Liger Zero_ with laser and missiles. Bit brought _Liger Zero_ to dance in the air, dodging most of the attack, then hit it again with Strike Laser Claw. The Liger's claws clobbered the enemy Zoid like hot knives through butter. Tongues of fire engulfed the enemy Zoid, but it refused to go down. Bit turned _Liger Zero_ around and fired his shock cannons. The enemy Zoid jerked behind, backpedaling on its heel as Bit's marksmanship breached the remaining arm.

But once again, a storm swept _Liger Zero_ of its feet. This time it was bad. The Liger cried, and Bit felt his friend limping, sustaining the horrendous hit. His console screamed, telling him critical damage. Bit realized that he was facing a very dangerous sniper, almost as good as Naomi Fluegel if not better. He held his joystick firmly, keeping _Liger Zero_ on its feet while thinking a way to beat the strange Zoid.

"Come on, _Liger Zero_, do your magic like you did to Naomi," Bit turned the Liger around, preparing his shock cannon. "Come on, get it! Fire shock cannons!"

Neither Bit nor _Liger Zero_ was specialized in long-range combat, but together they made a good team and could do anything. The dual cannons barked, and fire belched from the enemy's hull. It teetered behind, almost toppled, then regained balance in a groggy gait. It backpedaled slowly.

"You got it!" Bit exclaimed. "Come on, Liger Zero! Let's kill that bastard!"

But before the Liger could make a move, the enemy Zoid fired its gun, hitting _Liger Zero_ squarely on the chest. The hit pulled off a crack in the reactor casing, and _Liger Zero's_ energy matrix dropped down to 40 percent. Bit knew he could not push _Liger Zero_ to attack the enemy. The enemy possessed a weapon he could not contest, and Bit realized it was wise to stand down and let them go. They got Doc Taros, but it was better to take care of Leena and Jamie first.

So Bit held his joystick, letting the strange Zoids slipped away from his view, then turned around and went to the downed _Raynos_ and _Gun Sniper_. Jamie climbed down his ride, rubbing his head while swaying left and right. Leena growled as she opened the cockpit, and she screamed in anxiety when she saw Bit.

"My father! Where is my father?" she howled.

"They got him," Bit tried to calm her down. "But don't worry, we'll get him back."

"How could you leave him?" Leena screamed. "Get him back! Now!"

"Leena, there's nothing I can do," Bit replied. "They hurt you, Brad, Naomi, Jamie, and _Liger Zero_. They caught us off guard. But next time, we'll be better prepared. We'll get your father back, Leena, that I promise you."

Leena sank her face into Bit's shoulder, crying her heart out. Bit nurtured her fear by caressing her hair, giving as much comfort as he could. As a matter of fact, he didn't know how to get Doc Taros back. He didn't even know who the kidnappers were. But he just had to be strong for Leena.

"Bit," suddenly Jamie grabbed Bit's hand, tugging him like a kid trying to get attention of his parents. Bit turned around, looking at the massive enemy Zoid that he brought down a while ago. The cockpit sprung open, and a big man climbed out of it. He was hurt; blood streaming down his shoulder. He tried to walk, but he stumbled.

"Well," Bit smiled, "looks like we don't come up empty handed after all. Jamie, let's get him!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

_**2nd Wolf Lancer jumpship,  
Orbit of Planet Zi**_

Phaia watched Doc Taros intently as the middle aged man squirmed on the chair, slowly coming back to his senses. Yuri's punch doused the good doctor for the majority of the fight, so he would not know what happened to his guards. As he opened his eyes, Phaia looked at her bondsman, seriously questioning his claim that a goofy-looking man like Doc Taros held the key to their escape. The man looked nothing more like a doctor.

Something in Harry's attitude didn't feel right. Somehow Harry failed to mention that Doc Taros was guarded by strange, animal-like battlemechs called _Zoids_. Some of the Zoids posed no trouble for Phaia's deadly Gauss rifle, but the so-called _Liger Zero_ proved to be superior than anything Phaia had ever seen, even the best Clan battlemechs. It slew two _Timber Wolves_ without difficulty, and Nikolai was captured by the locals as the result. Phaia had a feeling that Harry was somehow responsible to the capture of Nikolai. But Harry was the only connection between her and the strange world beneath the jumpship, and she had no choice but to trust Harry. For now.

"Where am I?" Doc Taros grimaced, rubbing his jaw. "Who are you people?"

"That is the question that I should ask you, Doc Taros," Darien replied. "Where are we?"

Doc Taros looked at Darien, then at Phaia, and finally at Harry. "So you are the guys that shot down the ZBC judge and kidnapped Harry Champ."

"The one you called 'judge' violated _zellbrigen_," Phaia explained. "And I beat Harry in a circle of equal, thus took him bondsman. By our standard, he deserves to die, but we reserve the right to bondsref him until the time we deem fit."

Doc Taros frowned in utter confusion, but he knew he didn't have time to decipher what Phaia said. So he said, "What do you want from me?"

"We came to your world in accident," Darien explained. "Your planet is not registered in our computer, so we cannot plot a jump sequence. That is the reason why we come to you. Harry claimed that you have the resource to assist us. We have no interest in your planet, and if you help us with our jump sequence, I will let you go. All we want is to go home."

"You came to my house, beat my friends and families, and still expect me to help you? What kind of logic is this? How do I know that you are not member of Backdraft organization that wants to take over Planet Zi?"

"Such is the way of the Clan," Darien said, shooting a derogatory look at the confused doctor. "I find your lack of knowledge about our way quite disturbing, Doctor. Especially for a scholar like you."

"_The way of the Clan_?" Doc Taros replied in high pitch. "Dammit, I haven't even heard about 'the Clan' until you said it! Nobody in Zi knows about the Clan! What's going on here?"

Both Darien and Phaia bartered perplexed looks, wondering why Doc Taros dared to claim he had never heard about the Clan. It was a plain impossibility, considering the Clans swept the Inner Sphere with a brutal force for 4 years before they were beaten. Every place in the Inner Sphere should have heard about the Clan.

Darien gestured Phaia to follow him, and he brought her to the hangar where Phaia's _Shadow Cat_ was being repaired. The battle scars from the fight with _Liger Zero_ were still imminent, and although Phaia only sustained one hit, it was a critical hit that cracked the _Shadow Cat's_ hull.

"What is your theory?" Darien asked. "I do not believe that the doctor is telling the truth. There is no possibility that a freebirth has not heard about the Clans."

"I beg to differ," Phaia replied, looking at her _Shadow Cat_. "Look at my mech, ovkhan. That extensive damage is the result of just one shot. I hit the enemy with 5 direct shots that should have crippled a _Dire Wolf_, but it still managed to beat two _Timber Wolves_ and did this to my mech. I do not think we are still at Inner Sphere, ovkhan. I think we are far beyond charted territory. That is why our computer cannot pick up the coordinate, because this planet never had one. Besides, the doctor always mentions 'Zi'. I surmise it is the name of the planet we are orbiting, and as far as I can remember, there is no such planet in the latest chart."

"Hm," Darien snorted. "In that case, the doctor does not have any value to us besides a trade."

"Aff," Phaia quickly responded. "The doctor's guards had taken Nikolai and his _Timber Wolf_. We can use set up a trade to get Nikolai back."

"Good thinking, Phaia," Darien summed up. "Let us go back and set everything up."

The two walked back to the briefing room, and Darien took Doc Taros to the control room. He asked the tactical officer to establish a contact with the Blitz Team HQ, while he briefed the doctor, "We overestimated our knowledge of the situation. You have nothing we need, so we will return you to your place. However, your guards took one of our members and his battlemech, and we want them back. I will set up a communication line between you and your subordinates. Tell them that we treat you with respect, and we expect nothing less from them. We will return you and we expect them to do the same.

"But remember, doctor," Darien's voice turned stern. "Technically, you are my bondsman. I have the right to bondsref you, although I do not like to do it. But if your guards treat Nikolai with disrespect, I will use my privilege to kill you and wage war against your people. Such is the way of the Clan."

"You speak of us as if we are animals," Doc Taros replied in disdain. "Let me talk to my family. You are yet to see that we are not barbarians."

* * *

_Some Clan epithet:_

zellbrigen - Clan's rule of engagement where no one can interfere a duel.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX **

**_Blitz Team Headquarters,  
Planet Zi_**

"Mechwarrior Nikolai, 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy. You will not break me!"

Brad Hunter cocked his right arm and once again flung it toward Nikolai's face. Blood and sweat splattered on the wall behind him. Nikolai's head jerked behind, coupled by a muffled scream that was restrained in his throat. His arms were bounded behind his back, chained to a chair where he had been sitting on for the last couple hours, enduring the wrath of Brad Hunter as the long-haired teen unleashed his fury in an interrogation session.

As Bit nurtured Leena that was still in shock over his father's abduction, and Jamie Hemeros investigated the strange Zoid, the interrogation was left to Brad and Naomi. But Brad had no intention to ask questions. The image of Naomi getting a nasty roundhouse kick flared his rage to the boiling point. The fact that it was not even Nikolai that kicked Naomi did not stop him from beating the hell out of Nikolai, and seeing Nikolai took his ordeal bravely only made him even angrier.

"Mechwarrior Nikolai, 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy. You will not break me!"

Brad let out an exasperation yell and back-handed Nikolai's face. His head twisted; blood dripping to the floor from a wide gash over his left eye, and his right eye was close shut. But the big man came back, smirking as if Brad's assaults had no impact in him. Brad was mad, tired, and hurt his hands, but he pushed himself as far as he could. He wanted Nikolai to suffer for what he, or his friend, did to Naomi.

"You're doing too far, Brad," Naomi said, watching Brad's hands trembling and bleeding from the chaffs. "Look at your hands! You're hurting yourself!"

"They have to pay for what they did to you!" Brad fumed. "They have to learn that we are not to be bullied by big honchos like him!"

"He's just one out of many, Brad! Beating him senseless will not send them a message! If anything, you'll just make them madder, and giving them a reason to attack us in full force!"

Brad turned around, shooting a furious glare at Naomi. "Then we'll just have to prepare, won't we?"

"Listen to me!" Naomi answered Brad's stare with her own. "If he dies, we have nothing. He is the only portal to their world, and we have to use it to know what they are planning, so we can prepare. Why don't you rest for a moment. I'll take it from here."

Brad was exhausted, so he stepped aside and let Naomi take over. But he grabbed a baseball bat, in case something happened. Nikolai was chained to his chair, but he was huge. It scared him to see the red-haired Naomi walked toward another man twice her size.

"Who are you?" Naomi asked, wincing at the sight of blood in Nikolai's face. "Where do you take Dr. Taros? What are you planning?"

"Mechwarrior Nikolai, 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy. You will not break me!"

"This is not helping, Nikolai," Naomi said. "We don't want to do this, but we have to if you give us a reason to do it. Are you part of the Backdraft? I have never heard of 2nd Wolf Lancer before. Do you want ransom for Dr. Taros? What do you want?"

"Mechwarrior Nikolai, 2nd Wolf Lancer, Delta Galaxy. You will not break me!"

Naomi realized that Nikolai had a sort of military training before. She knew that Nikolai would rather die than betraying his unit. Only the military knew how to break Nikolai. She thought Jack Sisco might know how to deal with Nikolai, but she reckoned the Blitz Team wouldn't want to deal with Jack just yet. The less people knew about Doc Taros abduction, the better.

"Perhaps this would change his mind," Brad brought in the baseball bat.

"You're nuts! Put that thing away!" Naomi yelled. "You'll kill him!"

"And that's a bad thing, why?" Brad smiled, firming his grip on the bat's holder.

"Brad! Naomi!" suddenly Jamie entered the room. "Come quick! The abductors is making contact!"

Eager to learn the fate of Doc Taros, Brad and Naomi quickly jumped behind Jamie to the control room. Bit and Leena were already there, standing in front of the screen. A rugged face emerged on the screen, looking at them with a sharp gaze.

"Attention, citizen of Zi. This is Star Commander Darien Kerensky, 2nd Wolf Lancer. I believe you have something that belongs to us."

"Likewise, asshole! You have something that belongs to us, too!" Bit bravely answered.

"You are right. And I admit that it was a mistake. Doctor Taros has nothing of our need. Therefore, I will return Doctor Taros to you, and in return I expect you to return Mechwarrior Nikolai and his _Timber Wolf_ the way you acquired them from the battlefield."

"We don't trust you just yet," Bit replied. "How do we know that Doc Taros is still alive, and you're not playing tricks on us?"

"Your lack of faith is disgusting, _freebirth_. But to appease your curiosity, I will let you talk to Doctor Taros."

The screen zapped for a moment, then it went back on with Doc Taros.

"Dad!" Leena squeeled in delight. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Doc Taros spoke. "Don't worry about me."

"Who are they?" Brad asked.

"I'll tell you when I get home, but they are very respectable people. They treated me with respect. Listen, you haven't killed the POW, have you?"

"No, never," Naomi quickly responded. "Why?"

"Because that's the deal. They'll return me safe and sound only if the POW is in good condition. So make sure you treat him good. Otherwise, they'll kill me."

"That's absurd!" Brad growled. "Why they want to do that?"

"God knows, Brad. But just do it. Bit, you're in charge of everything. Make sure everything is in order until I get back."

The screen blinked again, and Darien's face replaced that of Doc Taros'. "As you see, we treated your people with respect. I expect you to do the same. I will bring my star to land 5 kilometers outside your base in 24 hours. I will hand Doctor Taros to you personally, and I want you to give me Mechwarrior Nikolai and his battlemech. However, if I see even the scantest hint that you did not treat my subordinate the way he deserves, I will kill Doctor Taros and destroy your headquarters. In the name of Aleksander Kerensky, you can hold my words as the truth."

The screen closed. Bit looked at Brad, watching intently the blood in his hands and his shirt, then shot a panic stare, "What the hell did you do to him?"

Brad looked at Bit, then at Leena, then at Naomi. He let out a sigh, "Aw, Crap!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

_**Wolf Dropship,  
5 Kilometers outside Blitz Team HQ,  
Planet Zi**_

Mechwarrior Phaia watched the radar, observing the movements of enemy Zoids storming out of the HQ. The _Liger Zero_ led the pack, followed by a red dinosaur-like and a dog-like Zoids. Phaia didn't remember seeing the last two Zoids before, although the red Zoid looked very much like the _Gun Sniper_ that she took out earlier. Behind the Zoids, a truck rolled out, carrying the wreck of Nikolai's _Timber Wolf_. She could only guess that Nikolai was inside the truck.

"What are those two Zoids, bondsman?" Phaia asked Harry. "The red dinosaur and the dog-type?"

"The red _Gun Sniper_ is Naomi Fluegel. She is the best sniper in Planet Zi. The _Command Wolf_ is Brad Hunter, a mercenary working for the Blitz Team. Naomi Fluegel has her own team, but she hangs around Brad often. You know what I mean."

"_Coffin mate_," Phaia hissed in disgust.

"Miss Phaia, I believe I can be of a use in this situation," Harry unexpectedly said. "Your force is seriously outgunned by the Blitz Team and Naomi Fluegel. The _Liger Zero_ is stil hurt, but it is the best Zoid in Planet Zi. Not to mention Naomi Fluegel. You are one man short. You can put me in one of your battlemechs to even the odd."

"Harry, what are you doing?" Doc Taros yelled. "Are you going to fight your own kins? You traitor!"

"Harry is bound by honor to the Wolf Clan, so it is the right thing to do to prove his honor," Phaia explained. "However, you have not proven yourself that you are trustworthy. Why should we trust you and benefit from your loyalty?"

"You beat me in a fair fight, and you spared me from death. I am obligated to return your mercy."

"You don't have loyalty, Harry Champ!" Doc Taros roared. "You're doing this because you're trying to make a move toward my daughter!"

Phaia shot a fuming gaze over Harry. "You have a _coffin mate, freebirth_?"

"No! God, no!" Harry whined. "I am an honorable warrior, just like you are! The Blitz Team is the bad guys! Put me in a battlemech and I will prove it to you!"

"You put him in a battlemech and he'll shoot you from the back!" Doc Taros grunted. "That's just the kind of man he is!"

Phaia had never been in this situation before. She could easily solve this matter by issuing a Trial of Grievance, letting Harry and Doc Taros fight in a circle of equal. But the Wolves did not have time for a trial. If they waited for the trial to conclude, she was afraid that Nikolai might have to pay the price. Not knowing what to do, Phaia turned to her commander, "Ovkhan? What do you think?"

"Your bondsman, your decision, Phaia," Darien replied. "We are two men short, since Yuri is still injured. We can use Harry, if you trust him enough to put him in a battlemech."

That was enough for Phaia to make up her mind. "Neg, ovkhan. I do not trust him just yet."

"Very well," Darien summed up. "Yuri, stay here and guard Harry. Phaia, Mikhail, to your battlemechs. Doctor Taros, come with me. I will deliver you to your home, just like I promised your friends."

As the other went to the hangar, Phaia came to Harry, her teeth gritting in anger. "When I come back, you had better have an explanation about Doctor Taros' accusation about your loyalty and your _coffin mate_. If I do not find your explanation satisfactory, I swear by the blood of Nicholas Kerensky I will rip your throat with my bare hands. Do you understand, bondsman?"

"You can trust me, Miss Phaia," Harry replied, stuttering under the pressure of Phaia's verbal assault. "You made a big mistake by not putting me in a battlemech."

"I will see about that," Phaia huffed, then turned to Yuri. "Keep your eyes on him all the time."

Upon hearing Yuri's reply, Phaia rushed to the hangar. The techs did the best their could to repair her _Shadow Cat_, but the front right armor was still weak. She knew she could not afford to sustain another hit by the _Liger Zero_. On her right, Star Commander Darien Kerensky led Doctor Taros to enter his _Executioner_, and Mikhail climbed the ladder to his _Timber Wolf_ cockpit. Sitting comfortably in her command couch, Phaia started her _Shadow Cat_ and open a private comlink with Darien, "Ready when you are."

"You are the best sniper on Delta Galaxy, Phaia," Darien said while bringing his _Executioner_ toward the bay door. "Pay close attention to Naomi Fluegel. We are not looking for a fight, but if Harry was right, she might give us trouble. Just make sure she cannot take her shots. Mikhail, guard the _Command Wolf_. Let me worry about the _Liger Zero_."

"Aff," Phaia replied while lining up behind Darien's _Executioner_. "Be careful with the Liger Zero. I hurt it on the last fight, but it is still very dangerous."

The dropship door rumbled open, and Darien stepped out, followed by Phaia on the left flank and Mikhail on the right. One kilometer away, the Blitz Team was waiting, with Liger Zero as the center point, sandwiched by Naomi's _Gun Sniper_ and Brad's _Command Wolf_. Phaia put her crosshair on Naomi's midst and grazed the trigger of her Gauss rifle with her thumb, waiting for a sign from her commander to unleash her fury, if necessary.

* * *

_Some Clan language:_

coffin mate - Clan derogatory epithet for two persons that grow close together, like boyfriend-girlfriend, or even best friends.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

_**5 Kilometers Outside Blitz Team HQ,  
Planet Zi**_

Bit Cloud wiped the sweat off his eyebrows, anxiously waiting for the enemy to climb down a huge egg-like vessel. Three strange Zoids got out, the one on the center was a tall, humanoid robot that was clearly the leader of the enemy unit. It sported two large-bored cannon as its arms and a menacing grin on its face. The one on its left was the sniper that took out Leena and Jamie the other day. The last one was similar to Nikolai's zoid, with a round cockpit and two oversized missile launchers on its side.

"Naomi, the smallest one is a hell of a sniper," Bit said over the comlink. "It took out Leena and Jamie in less than 5 shots. If worse comes to worst, take it down quickly or we'll be in trouble."

"I got it," Naomi lined up her gun at the enemy's torso. "I studied its moves. It has one crazy marksmanship but it doesn't move as agile as the others. I think I can do it."

"Good. Brad, cover the one that looks like a cat. I'll deal with the humanoid robot. Leena, Jamie, is the POW doing fine?"

"He's fine," Jamie replied from the truck. "How are we going to cover the bruises? Remember that they would kill Doc Taros if they notice we didn't treat him nicely."

"I don't know, Jamie," Bit sighed. "I'll just play it by ear." He switched his comlink to general frequency and hailed the enemy, "This is Bit Cloud from Blitz Team. I have Nikolai on the truck, along with his Zoid, per our deal. Let me see your end."

Bit's speaker crackled with Doc Taros' voice, "Good job, Bit. I am fine. Just do what they want and get me out of this mess."

"Not so fast, _freebirth_," Darien interjected. "I see that you bring Nikolai's _Timber Wolf_. Show me Nikolai."

Just as Bit was trying to outsmart the aliens, the ground shook. Five missiles busted out of the ground and struck _Liger Zero_ right on its legs, peeling off some armor. The Liger roared in confusion, trying to track the new assailants when another set of missiles blasted from underground and almost knocked its head. Two more soared out of the ground and almost hit Brad, but Brad quickly brought his _Command Wolf_ to safety. 

"Damn! Backdraft's _Warsharks_!" Bit yelled. "Brad, Naomi, hit the Backdrafts before they scare the aliens away!"

"It is clear to me that you never intend to honor your own words, _freebirths_!" Darien yelled. "In that case, I do not have to stay true to my promise. Dropship command, provide long-range battery and smite everything in sight!"

"No! No! They are the Backdraft!" Bit cried out. "We have nothing to do with them! Dammit, don't do anything to Doc Taros!"

But it was too late. The giant egg-like vessel launched a saturated missile, beam, and ballistic strikes to the ground. Tons of sand, dirt, pebbles and rocks were tossed up to the sky as the missiles dug into the _Warshark's_ refuge. Two metal sharks jumped out of the ground, dodging the missiles. The vessel torched them in the sky. The _Warsharks_ spun several times in the air before slamming hard into the ground.

Two other _Warsharks_ surfaced out of the ground and bit the legs of the humanoid Zoid in the center. Their teeth sunk deep into the armor, dangerously threatened the delicate strut beneath it. The humanoid Zoid turned to the right and blasted the _Warshark_ gnawing at its right foot. The _Warshark_ exploded upon impact, killing the pilot instantly. The small sniper Zoid stretched its right arm and fired its massive gun at the _Warshark_ clinging on the big Zoid's left foot. A powerful explosion followed suit, turning the _Warshark_ into a fireball.

The two remaining _Warsharks_ jumped out and pumped out their cannons and missiles in desperation, but Brad quickly fired up his cannons. Dozens of cannon rounds eviscerated the _Warsharks_. They reeled back to the ground as charred hulks. But before Brad could take a deep breath, dozens of red dots appeared in his radar, rushing toward his position with lightning speed. He inspected his radar, and the signature of _Stormsworders_ leapt into his eyes.

"Pierce!" Brad screamed. "Bit, we got problem! I think the Backdraft is trying to kidnap Nikolai! The _Warsharks_ are just diversions! Pierce is leading the main group to snatch Nikolai!"

"That's impossible!" Naomi exclaimed. "How do they know about Nikolai?"

"I don't know, but somehow they know!" Brad yelled. "We have to take them down... fast!"

"Leena, Jamie, get Nikolai out of the truck! Now!" Bit screamed and aimed his shock cannons at the _Stormsworder_ horde. "Star Commander Darien Kerensky, we are not your enemies! Those _Stormsworders_ are your enemies! They are trying to get Nikolai! Turn your guns at them and shoot them down before they get your man!"

Dozens of missiles, ballistics and energy bolts leapt to the sky, peppering the _Stormsworders_ as it descended. Fireballs blossomed with every _Stormsworder _taken down by the curtain of fire. The Backdraft _Stormsworders_ return fire, gouging layers of armor of the egg-like vessel, spreading burning splinters all over the place. But the vessel's thick armor shrugged the attack, and both the Blitz Team and the aliens worked together to shoot down as many _Stormsworder_ as possible.

But there were just too many _Stormsworders_. The leader pierced the ballistic defense and grabbed Nikolai with its feet, just as Jamie and Leena escorted him out of the truck. Brad and Naomi fired their guns to shoot it down, but the _Stormsworder_ quickly soared to the sky. Another _Stormsworder_ dipped down and snatched Leena.

"No! Leena!" Bit slammed his feet on the pedal, bringing _Liger Zero_ to a furious sprint. "_Liger Zero_, fire shock cannons!"

The _Liger Zero_ roared and fired the shock cannons, ripping the right wing of the _Stormsworder_. The Zoid spiralled in the air before grazing the ground. _Liger Zero_ snatched Leena from the _Stormsworder's_ claws and took her to safety before the _Stormsworder_ exploded in a brilliant fireball.

"Leena! Are you alright?" Bit asked, fret was imminent in his voice.

"I'm okay!" Leena shouted her response. "They took Nikolai, Bit! What will happen to father?"

"I don't know. Naomi, knock down the _Stormsworder_ that got Nikolai!"

But the _Stormsworder_ was already too far for Naomi to shoot. The rest of the _Stormsworders_ retreated and turned away from the battle. Bit realized that he was in a very disadvantageous position, so he quickly opened communication channel with the alien, "Star Commander, we tried our best, but we are overwhelmed by the Backdraft. Don't hurt Doc Taros, please! We can talk about this situation."

But the aliens retreated into the egg-like vessel, then a minute later it blasted off and flew into the sky, leaving pillars of smoke behind.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII  
**

**_Wolf Dropship,  
Planet Zi_**

Confusion struck Phaia as she put her _Shadow Cat_ in idle in the hangar. What was the 'Backdraft'? Why did they attack Phaia and kidnapped Nikolai? One moment she thought she was fighting the Blitz Team, the next time she realized the Wolf teamed up with the Blitz Team to fight this 'Backdraft' organization. What would this 'Backdraft' benefit from entering the Blitz-Wolf conflict? And how did they know about Nikolai? Her head spinning, Phaia opened her canopy and climbed out her battlemech, then realized that there was something missing in the hangar.

Yuri's _Timber Wolf_.

"Where is Yuri's _Timber Wolf_?" Phaia asked the technicians that helped her got out of her cooling vest.

"You authorized your bondsman to take it to assist you in battle, did you not?" the techs replied. "Did he not make it?"

"Neg! I never authorized such thing!" Phaia exploded, shoving the techs backward. "Why did you not ask my permission? He is my _stravag_ bondsman! You should have asked me before you helped him get away with our battlemech!"

"There was no time, ovkhan," the tech trembled. "You were under heavy fire, and when he claimed to be authorized to help you in battle, we did not think he would lie to us."

"You will pay for this, _freebirths!_" Phaia roared. "You will pay for this with your lives!"

"What is happening?" Star Commander Darien Kerensky arrived with Doc Taros.

"Harry escaped with Yuri's _Timber Wolf_," Phaia informed her commander. "I will make the technicians pay for letting him steal the battlemech, then I will make Yuri pay for..." Suddenly Phaia realized that Yuri might be in serious trouble. She bolted out of the hangar and found Yuri lying unconscious on the hall. Blood streaming down his head, and his sidearm was missing.

"Yuri!" Phaia held Yuri's hand. "What happened?"

"I am sorry, ovkhan," Yuri moaned, rubbing his bloodied temple. "One second I lost my attention, he bashed me with a chair. I should have never let my eyes away from him. Accept my _rede_, ovkhan."

"I knew this would happen," Doc Taros sighed. "You can't just trust Harry Champ. I bet his intention is to steal one of your battlemechs, and use it to beat Bit Cloud and get my daughter."

"Commander, I take responsibility of this mess," Phaia put her best stance in front of Darien. "I will kill the technicians that let Harry go, then I will hunt him myself. I will not stop until he is dead and I got the _Timber Wolf_ back."

"Nobody will die because of this," Darien replied. "We are in a foreign world, and I need everybody on this ship to function as is. I will deal with the technicians later, Phaia, but until we get out of this planet, I want everybody to resume duty, including you." Darien turned to Doc Taros. "Then I reckon I have to rely on your information as of this new development. Who, or what, is this Backdraft? Why did they interfere with our personal conflict?"

"Backdraft is an organization whose sole intention is to take over Planet Zi," Doc Taros explained. "Interference with other's conflicts is what they do best. They have been oggling over _Liger Zero_ for sometime, and now they are trying to steal your battlemechs. The first step is to kidnap your crew member, and ask for ransom. I'm sure that's what gonna happen."

"Nobody knows about Nikolai except us," Phaia mused. "How did they know?"

"My team will not tip the Backdraft, and I don't think any of you knew about their existence," Doc Taros pondered. "The only possibility is Harry Champ. He informs the Backdraft to keep you busy, so he can steal your battlemech. Either he will sell it to the Backdraft, or he will use it personally to beat _Liger Zero_. I see that we are facing a common enemy. I suggest that we work together. We help you retrieve Nikolai from the Backdraft, and you help us prevent the Backdraft from mass-producing the battlemech for their own accord."

"I cannot come to the point where I can trust you yet, Doctor," Darien stated. "You have to prove your worth in the circle of equal. Then and only then we will trust you. Such is the way of the Clan."

"A duel?" Doc Taros squinted. "Listen, I don't know how you do everything 'the Clan way', but here in Planet Zi, not everything is solved by violence. You don't trust me, fine. I don't trust you either. But you can use your common sense, can't you Commander? The Backdraft attacked everybody! They are the enemy... _our_ enemy!"

Darien and Phaia traded looks, wondering if working together with the Blitz Team was the right thing to do. They certainly did not know Planet Zi, and working with the Blitz Team would help them to get Nikolai back, and perhaps to get away from Zi. On the other hand, they had been bamboozled once by Harry Champ, and they could not let it happen again.

But in the end, Doc Taros' reason made perfect sense. By _zellbrigen_ standard, the Backdraft had conducted a dishonorable attack, thus had to be annihilated.

"Very well, we do it your way," Darien concurred. "Phaia, set up communication line with the Blitz Team. Tell them we are coming with Doc Taros, so ask them to lower their guard."

"Aff, Commander," Phaia said.

"I have one concern, Commander," Doc Taros stated. "How good is your battlemech? I mean, can Harry beat _Liger Zero_ using it?"

"A battlemech is only a tool, doctor," Darien replied. "It is the pilot that gives life to it. And judging by Harry's attitude, I do not think you have something to worry about."

"Then I feel better," Doc Taros smirked his relieve.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

**Note:** Moonyasha, I thought it was a good idea to include your character in this story. But this story will end in two or three more updates. Maybe this is not the right story to do it. But if you still interested, let me know through PM or regular email. Maybe we can do something together (sequel? Or perhaps a brand new Zoids story?) So send me a PM or email to talk about it.

* * *

_**Blitz Team Headquarters,  
Planet Zi**_

The Wolf dropship shook and rumbled as it made the final descent, this time on the landing pad of the Blitz Team. Four gigantic rockets tossed smoke and dust as the egg-like vessel touched the ground, sending light tremor to the HQ and the Blitz Team Zoids that were waiting outside the hangar. The dropship's door slid open, and two battlemechs climbed down the ramp, stopping right in front of Bit's _Liger Zero_, Naomi's _Gun Sniper_, and Brad's _Command Wolf_.

Phaia put her _Shadow Cat_ in idle and exited her cockpit, watching her commander climbing down his _Executioner_ with Doc Taros. When she arrived at the ground, the Zoidians also exited their Zoids, so they finally met face to face at ground level. Leena burst into a sprint and hurled herself into Doc Taros' embrace, followed by Bit and Brad. Phaia stood at the distance, watching the father-daughter reunion apathetically, but she shot a curious glance at Naomi. She remembered Harry's explanation about Naomi being the best sniper in the planet, and her competitive nature gave her an uncomfortable feeling.

"Daddy!" Leena hugged Doc Taros and cried on his shoulder. "I thought I would never see you again!"

"Don't be silly, lass," Doc Taros caressed her pink hair. "I am not leaving you yet." He turned to Bit and Brad that greeted him with broad smiles. "Bit, Brad, you did one hell of a job. I'm very proud of you."

"Did they hurt you?" Brad asked.

"No, on the contrary," Doc Taros turned to Darien and Phaia. "Meet Darien Kerensky, the leader of this Wolf Clan expedition. This is Phaia, the second-in-command. They were on their way to a place called Arc Royal when they were stranded here."

"You guys have a lot of explanation," Bit said, "but answer me one thing: why did you kidnap Doc Taros?"

"Harry Champ told us that Doctor Taros was the only one that could help us go back to Arc Royal," Phaia explained. "He said that you were enemies and would not give up Doctor Taros, so we had to use excessive force to acquire the doctor. He was our only source of information, so we followed his lead."

"Harry Champ?" Bit and Brad squinted. "Why in the world did you chose Harry as your aide?"

"I beat him in a circle of equal, so I took him as bondsman," Phaia replied.

"Long story short, Harry made them believe that the Blitz Team is bad," Doc Taros joined in. "He wanted them to beat Bit and _Liger Zero_. When his plan failed, he stole one of their battlemechs and escaped. He might be the one that leaked the information about Nikolai to the Backdraft."

"That fiend never ceases to screw things up," Brad sighed. "He's rich, but not bright. What do you think he can do with the stolen battlemech?"

"The _Timber Wolf_ is not my main concern," Darien responded. "Nikolai is more important than the battlemech. I want him back alive, even if it means that I have to lose the _Timber Wolf_."

"Knowing the Backdraft, they'll soon make contact with us, asking for ransom," Doc Taros said. "Let them make the first move. Now let's get inside and plan our strategy to beat the Backdraft and Harry Champ."

"What if they do not contact you?" Phaia mused.

"Don't worry, they will," Brad replied. "They've been our unwelcome neighbors for far too long, we know how they think and how they act. You will get Nikolai back."

Phaia looked at Darien, still skeptical about the entire situation, but Darien's stare told her that there was nothing she could do to make things better. The Wolves just had to trust the Blitz Team, because Doc Taros and his friends knew how to deal with the Backdraft group.

As the new acquaintances walked toward the headquarters, Leena came to Bit and pulled him aside. "You don't know how it means to me that you fought your heart out to get my daddy back. And you saved me from the Backdraft. Words are not enough to express my thanks."

"Hey, he's my family too," Bit smiled. "You'll do the same if you were in my position."

"Nevertheless, what you did is very brave, and I think you deserve to get this." Leena leaned toward Bit and pecked his cheek in a quick smooch.

"Ow…" Bit was taken aback, totally caught off guard. "Well thank you. Does that mean we're… uhm…"

"Don't push it, Bit Cloud," Leena stepped back, chortling over Bit's reddened face. "Like I said, you deserve it because of what you did."

"Does that mean there's more if I continue to act heroically?" Bit teased.

It was Leena's turn to blush. "Boys! Give them an inch and they ask for the whole yard!"

Meanwhile, inside the headquarters, the Wolf clansmen and the Blitz Team were brainstorming when the main screen beeped. Jamie quickly established a connection, and the face of Altail emerged on the screen, smiling in conceited smug.

"I believe I have found a treasure in your front yard, Blitz Team," Altail grinned, showing off his nicely kempt teeth. "I wonder why you always have the good toys. Well, the tide of battle has changed. I am holding possession one of the aliens that had come to Planet Zi. I believe he is worth countless stars to you, so if you want him back, you have to hand me _Liger Zero_."

"Do you think we are stupid, Altail?" Brad snorted. "First, why should we believe you?"

"Quick thinking, Brad Hunter," Altail cackled. "Exactly my kind of guy. Here, take a look at your possession and tell me if I'm lying." The screen moved to a picture of Nikolai, chained to a wall, battered and bruised, but otherwise alive. The bad gash on his temple had swollen into a nasty gangrene.

"You _stravag!_ _Freebirth_ scum!" Darien gritted his teeth in anger. His fists balled so hard his knuckles went white. "By Kerensky's blood, I swear you all will pay for this!"

"Then give me _Liger Zero_, and he'll be back in no time," Altail smiled. "I will wait on the outskirt of Romeo City in 36 hours. If you fail to meet me, I will send your friend in a nice coffin."

"Neg, I will not wait another day," Darien replied sternly. "I, Star Commander Darien Kerensky, hereby challenge you in a Trial of Possession. I bid my _Executioner_ into this trial, and let Nikolai be my prize."

"A what?" Altail frowned. "A trial? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"A duel, one on one," Phaia explained. "If you lose, you have to return Nikolai to us immediately. If you win," she paused a minute, "you can keep Nikolai and the _Executioner_. Such is the way of the Clan."

"Hmm…" Altail mused. "A new technology to our arsenal. Who knows this _Executioner_ is even better than an Ultimate-X. Alright, if that suits your taste. Meet us in twenty four hours."

As the screen went dark, Doc Taros lunged at Darien. "You're nuts! You don't know what you're dealing with! Not every problem can be solved by Clan trial, especially ones with the Backdraft! They will do everything they can not to lose this trial!"

"I am sure they will," Darien replied, looking at Phaia. "Remember Jerome Helmer?"

"Aff, ovkhan," Phaia replied with a smirk. "This time, I will be ready."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter XIV**

_**Outside Champ's Team,  
Planet Zi**_

Harry Champ grinned from ear to ear, pushing the pedal of his _Timber Wolf_ as he steered the 75-ton battlemech toward his nest. The battlemech moved in fluid motion, a far cry from the rugged but sluggish _Dark Horn_, or even his newer _Iron Kong_. The lack of cushion of the command seat was compensated by the incredibly smooth shock absorbers on its bird-like legs, and the mech easily responded to the throttle.

When he was taken bondsman in Wolf's ship, Harry overheard some technicians saying that the _Timber Wolf_ was the finest war machine ever created by human. True, heavier designs carried more firepower, and lighter ones could easily outrun it, but the _Timber Wolf_ was a perfect blend of speed, agility, and power punch. Harry didn't understand it at that time, but now he had an idea of how deadly this machine was.

"Stop!" his sister Mary halted his advance in her _Iron Kong PK_. "Identify yourself, weird one! Or I'll put a whole in your midst."

"Try that, Sister, and see the awesome firepower of my new Zoid!" Harry flaunted.

"Harry? What on earth are you driving?" Mary gasped. "Where are you these days? People thought you were dead or something."

"Let's just say that I was lucky," Harry chuckled lightly. "These guys have a smorgasbord of incredible weaponries, enough to heat up the entire Backdraft group in a night. You should've seen their hangar."

"Are these the people that were rumored to have killed a ZBC judge?" Mary asked. "The ones from outer space? You should be careful Harry. Their weapons look cool, but we're not adjusted to their technology. You can get yourself killed."

"Killed?" Harry guffawed. "Who needs an Ultimate-X if I can have a battlemech? My prayer's answered, Mary. I finally have the right weapon to kill Bit Cloud! And Leena will be mine, all mine! Forever!"

Just then, three Zoids arrived at the Champ camp. It was Jack Sisco, leading Chris and Kelly Tasker in his _Lightning Saix_. The cheetah-type Zoids marched toward Harry's mech, lowering their heads in anxiety.

"So it is true," Jack's voice was riddled with awe over the speaker. "You've met those aliens."

"It's true, Jack, and they are menacing sonsofbitches who came to conquer Planet Zi," Harry fibbed casually. "But I stopped them."

"Do you expect us to believe you, Champ?" Chris quipped. "How much does that toy cost you?"

"You're looking at the alien's ultimate weapon, the _Timber Wolf_. If it were launched, nothing in this world would stop it, not even the _Death Saurer_. Let's prove it, Sisco. Attack me with those pathetic _Saix_ of yours. In fact, let's make it interesting. Attack me, all three of you."

"You're lucky that no sanctioned battles are allowed until the shooting matter is resolved," Kelly answered. "Otherwise, we've trampled your toys to bits."

"Just admit you're scared," Harry mocked Kelly. "You k now that you won't stand a chance against me."

"Your mouth is becoming bigger and bigger," Jack huffed. "It's time somebody step up and teach you manners. Alright, Champ, you're on. Chris, Kelly, line up with me. Let's put this rich brat to rest."

"That's not fair!" Mary Champ moved his Iron Kong PK behind Harry. "Three against one?"

But Harry gestured Mary to step back. "Behold my glory, Sister. I'll finish them off in five minutes."

Wasting no time, Harry launched his missiles m toward Jack's _Saix_. The blue cheetah jumped aside in the nick of time, and Harry's marksmanship fell upon an empty spot. Jack pushed his _Saix_ forward, jumping over Harry's head with one powerful hop. Chris and Kelly fired their cannons, chipping Harry's armor but failed to do damage.

"Still think superior, Champ?" Kelly taunted.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Harry growled in response. "Eat this!"

Harry mashed the trigger and expelled a twin of laser streams. Kelly's _Saix_ jumped aside with all its might, dodging the attack, but Harry trailed her and fired his second wave. The Clan's targetting computer placed the laser beams on Kelly's vulnerable spot under the belly. The emerald beams set the _Saix_ ablaze, cooking delicate machinery. Kelly managed to land, but her _Lightning Saix_ was damaged and quickly overheated. Harry followed up with his missiles. The metal cheetah crisscrossed its path, dodging warheads after warheads by a mere millimeter, but in the end fell victim to Harry's relentless fire. Two missiles torched its rear end, forcing it to run go down in flames.

"Argh! He got me!" Kelly groaned in frustration.

"Chris, sweep his legs!" Jack screamed. "I'll hold his attention!"

Jack Sisco brought his _Saix_ to circle Harry, firing rounds after rounds of shells into his midst. The _Timber Wolf_ jerked back and forth, sustaining Jack's stingings that came from every direction, but the armor was thick enough to cover delicate structure. Increasingly anxious, Harry fired his missiles, but Jack used the incredible speed of his _Saix_ to dodge the missiles. Harry fired his lasers repeatedly, showering Jack with high-energy javelins, making the battlemech increasingly hot. Smoke and steam started to billow from the battlemech's heat sinks.

"Damn, what is going on?" he mumbled, getting soaked in his sweat. "Why is this thing getting hot?"

Suddenly Chris Tasker hit the _Timber Wolf's_ legs from behind. Chips of armor flew in the air as the _Timber Wolf_ staggered. Chris' _Saix_ cut half of the myomer bundles on Harry's left leg. The _Timber Wolf_ careened to the left, but Harry managed to compensate and put his crosshair squarely against the _Saix_. He fired all weapons, cutting through the thin armor of the _Saix_ and incinerated its innards. Three consecutive explosions eviscerated the _Saix _from inside, and the metal cheetah lurched forward before slumping to the ground.

"You got that, punk?" Harry bellowed. "I told ya!"

However, the last shot pushed the _Timber Wolf's_ temperature past shut-down level. The gauges went down, and the 75-ton battlemech leaned forward in idle. "What the hell?" Harry pushed the start button in panic, but nothing happened. The _Timber Wolf_ refused to start, and Harry's lack of knowledge about the battlemech only made everything worse.

"Looks like you're running out of gas, Champ!" Jack mocked Harry. "Your thing is not as dangerous as you believe."

Jack's _Saix_ leapt into the sky, ready to sink its talons into Harry's midst, but suddenly a powerful blast ripped its front armor. The _Saix_ roared, but another blast sent it flying backward before crashing to the ground. A bad gash gaped on its shoulder, and the damage on the gyros reduced its speed. In the distance, Mary Champ's _Iron Kong_ perched proudly, its gun smoking.

"Cheating bastard!" Jack cursed. "You're not in the fight! I will report this to ZBC!"

"And ganging up on Harry is not cheating?" Mary replied. "There's no way ZBC judges will allow this fight, should they come back."

"Your brother started it!" Jack growled.

"Just get lost, Sisco. You're nothing but an overrated hopeful, waiting for your big break. If you want to continue, I'll be happy to finish you off, but we both know that is not a wise decision. So get lost."

Jack knew that in his current condition, he could not beat Mary's _Iron Kong PK_. So he limped away from the Champ base, followed by Chris and Kelly in their damaged _Saixes_.

Meanwhile, Harry's _Timber Wolf_ had cooled down significantly, so it started up on its own. Harry chuckled deviously, gripping the joystick with complete satisfaction. "Did you see what this thing can do, Mary? I beat two _Lightning Saix!_ This is the best weapon platform I've ever had my hands on!"

"I know what you're thinking, Harry, and you're crazy if you still want to do it!" Mary yelled at her brother. "Sisco would've had killed you if I didn't help you out! That thing is dangerous! You don't have enough knowledge to use it properly!"

But Harry disregard Mary's comment. "Sisco's team is easy. It's time for Bit Cloud!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter XV**

**Note: **revised per SulliMike23's and Moonyasha's reviews

* * *

_**Outside Romeo City,  
Planet Zi**_

The dawn was breaking when the Blitz Team's hover cargo and Wolf star's dropship arrived at the designated area. The Backdraft gang was already waiting in full force. A big Zoid, called _Elephander_ by the Zoidians, stood in the center, with half a dozen of dinosaur-type _Geno Saurers_ behind it. Several _Stormsworders_ flew back and forth in the sky, circling their compatriots down on the ground. A single truck lied await in the center, behind the _Elephander_, boxed by the _Geno Saurers_.

As she walked down the ramp of the dropship, Phaia watched the flying Zoids for a while, determining their flying pattern, trying to find the leader. Her commander strolled on her right, while Bit and Leena accompanied her on their _Liger Zero_ and _Gun Sniper _- _Wild Weasel_. Mechwarrior Mikhail followed her in his _Timber Wolf_, and Naomi Fluegel took the anchor, ready to wreak havoc with her long-range rifle, escorted by Brad in his _Command Wolf_. Jamie took on the sky, and for one second Phaia doubted if the timid Jamie would stand a chance against the _Stormsworder_ horde. But Bit said that Jamie could take care of his own.

"It looks like the Backdraft is assigning Sanders to duel Commander Darien," Bit stated. "I smoked him before. He's not very bright, but I'm more worried about the _Geno Saurers_. At one point the Backdraft will take the liberty to gang up on Darien. Not to mention their _Warsharks_ that are undetected underground. Maybe Commander Darien should resign and let me take the point."

"Neg," Phaia responded. "In Clan culture, doing so is regarded as cowardice. Do not fret, we have been in this situation before. Jerome Helmer, our nemesis from the Jade Falcon Clan, cheated the Trial of Possession and attacked us with overwhelming firepower. We lost 3 good pilots in the onslaught that should have never happened. So we devise a plan should it happen again." (**Note**: for complete story about this incident, please read **To The Bitter End** in **Knights in FerroFibrous Armor** Ch. 7,8,9)

"Alright then, if you insist," Bit said, reining _Liger Zero_ to let Darien take the center stage. "Brad, Naomi, are you ready?"

"I can bring down 2 _Stormsworders_ in 5 seconds," Naomi replied. "I can't make Pierce yet, but should melee broke, I should know."

"My sensor hasn't picked up the _Warsharks_ yet," Brad added. "I think we should focus on the _Geno Saurers_ rather than watching for _Warsharks_ that might or might not be there."

"Leave them to me!" Leena growled. "My _Gun Sniper_ will send them all to hell!"

"I appreciate all your enthusiasm, but just because the Backdraft stains our Trial of Possition does not mean you have a right to do the same," Phaia said. "Nikolai is ours, so we will handle this our way, until we need your help."

"Well," a sharp exhale from Bit echoed in the comlink. "You have a weird way to do everything, Wolf Clan people. But go ahead. We're here to help."

As the _Executioner_ galloped toward the _Elephander_, Phaia covered Darien's left flank, putting her crosshair on one of the _Geno Saurers_. Mikhail did the same to Darien's right. The sight of the _Elephander_ was mortifying, and for a moment Phaia thought the metallic beast could easily swallow the _Executioner_ whole. But Phaia had faith in her commander. She knew he would pull it off.

"Attention, Backdraft," Darien spoke through his external speaker. "I am honoring our agreement by stepping into the circle of equal alone. My star mates will not interfere, and I expect you to do the same."

"Well, my alien friend, we have no intention to interfere your duel with Sanders," Altail replied. "Contrary to what the Blitz Team might have said about us, we are not barbarians. We are Backdraft group, and we just want a better life than the ZBC have been providing us."

"Glad to hear," Darien said. "Prove it by showing that Nikolai is still alive."

"With pleasure," Altail sniggered. He got out of the truck, escorted by Backdraft soldiers. One of them hauled Nikolai, chained on his wrists.

"Good," Darien's voice was riddled with satisfaction. "Then let us start the trial. I will have Nikolai if I win..."

"Not so fast!" Suddenly Altail drew his pistol and shoved the nozzle under Nikolai's chin. "Surrender your Zoids or I will pump his brain out! That means you too, Blitz Team! I can't believe you all fall for this! All of you, get out of your Zoids or he dies!"

"Stravag!" Phaia cursed. She didn't see that one coming. Nobody expected that Altail would conduct such a low act. Her blood boiled and her teeth rattled, but she didn't know what to do. Her head spin, trying to find a way to outsmart Altail, but she couldn't find a way that would take Nikolai alive.

"You are the lowest human filth I have encountered, Commander Altail," Darien's voice became ragged. "I will kill you with my bare hands!"

"Yeah, you do that, and your friend will never see the light again," Altail cackled. "You're in this situation because of your own stupidity. If you attack me, you'll still lose your friend. There's no other way to save him than to surrender. I will count to five. If I see anybody still on the Zoid after five, I will pump his brain out and ask my Zoids to attack you. Now choose wisely." Altail cleared his throat, then started counting, "_One_."

"Phaia, I have a clear shot at Altail," Naomi suddenly croaked on the comlink. "I can take this shot without harming your friend. Then we move in together to destroy these Backdraft bastards."

"Neg! Stand down!" Phaia spurned Naomi's suggestion, mostly because she didn't trust her. She knew Naomi was good, but she didn't know if Naomi was good enough to take the shot. Part of her competitive nature forbade her to trust Naomi. If anybody would take the shot, it had to be her, but she could not kill Altail without killing Nikolai. Her Gauss slug was too big for the job.

"_Two!_"

"Phaia, consider the choice we have!" Brad said. "Naomi is the best sniper in the world. She will not harm your friend."

"_Three!_"

Phaia knew she did not have any choice but to let Naomi take charge. She didn't like the idea of trusting the Zoidians, especially after Harry Champ, but the Zoidians knew how to deal with the Backdraft. Switching her target back to a _Geno Saurer_, Phaia barked, "Everybody pick a target! We attack when Naomi take the shot!"

"_Fou_..."

Altail didn't have a chance to finish his counting.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter XVI**

**Note:**revised per Moonyasha's review

* * *

_**Outside Romeo City,  
Planet Zi**_

A loud bang echoed through the entire plain, and Altail jerked behind, flying off the ground before skidding on the ground. A long swath of blood marked the ground. Altail's guard quickly aimed their guns at Nikolai, but Jamie's _Raynos _descended in a lightning speed. The very next second the _Raynos_ clenched on Nikolai's shoulder and lifted him up. All happened in no more than three seconds. Altail's guards opened fire on the _Raynos_, but Jamie rolled left and right to make a zigzag pattern. The _Geno Saurers _fired streams of ballistics and missiles, but the _Raynos_ dodged it by a mere centimeter above its head.

"Now! Attack!" Bit shouted from the top of his lung, slamming his foot into the pedal. The _Liger Zero_ jumped and bit a _Geno Saurer_ on the back of its neck. The _Geno Saurer_ squirmed a little before crashed to the ground, but it managed to lash its long tail at the _Liger_. _Liger Zero_ snarled and hopped to safety. The _Geno Saurer _rose to its feet and let loose a superheated plasma toward the white feline. Bit dodged the attack and leapt to the sky, descending with its claws red aglow. The laser strike claw sliced the Geno Saurer on the neck, and the headless zoid tumbled to the ground.

"Die, _freebirth_ cowards!" Phaia screamed and thrust into the battle. She charged forward, disregarding multiple barrages of missiles and cannons from the _Stormsworders_ and fired her Gauss Rifle at a _Geno Saurer_. Reddish explosions bloomed on the Saurer's front armor, punching a wide gap on its midst. The _Geno Saurer_ retaliated by its back cannon, but Phaia deftly turned her _Shadow Cat_ to her left, dodging the deadly attack. She fired her lasers, but the _Saurer_ shrugged the attack as if her attack had no effect on its metal skin.

The _Stormsworders_ went inbound and sprayed the Blitz Team with everything they'd got. Leena responded with a wry chuckle and launched her own missiles. Dozens of rockets swooshed out from the tubes on her _Gun Sniper's_ arms and shoulders, and whistled in the air like hawks. The _Stormsworders_ took evasive maneuvers, two went left and two to the right, then punched out their flares. The sky was illuminated by brilliant color of beacons and the explosions when the missiles detonated upon intact. One attack failed, but Leena still had aces up in her sleeve. The launchers on her hips went to work, spitting more missiles at the _Stormsworders_. Two caught in the hailstorm. The two _Snowsworders_ exploded, sending burning shrapnel and molten slag to every direction.

Phaia's Gaus Rifle struck the _Geno Saurer_ for the second time. There was nothing the hapless pilot could do; the armor gave way to the nickel-ferrous slug and the main generator was overloaded with heat. In one second the _Geno Saurer_ exploded into blazing smithereens. Phaia twisted right, but another _Saurer's_ plasma breaths engulfed half of her _Shadow Cat_. The plasma firestorm stripped its armor like flesh, and its internal structures started to drip. Phaia gritted her teeth, sweating profusely as the temperature rose to feverish pitch. She twisted her torso, firing her Gauss Rifle at the _Geno Saurer_ while flushing half of her coolant to drop the temperature. The Gauss slug ravaged the armor of the _Geno Saurer_, drilling a hole in its chest.

Brad's _Command Wolf_ made a dash forward, easily eating the distance with another _Geno Saurer_. As he reached his firing distance, Brad thumbed his trigger and fired several salvos of his cannons. The _Geno Saurer _staggered, then fired its plasma breath. Millions of light flashed all around the _Command Wolf_, but Brad jumped to safety with only minor damage to his right side. The _Command Wolf_ hopped around to dodge the plasma breath, then shot the _Geno Saurer_ with deadly precision. The head of the Saurer erupted like a volcano, and the headless beast slumped to the ground.

Meanwhile, Phaia's _Shadow Cat_ staggered hard under the Geno Saurer's onslaught. Sparks blasted from a crack on her right torso, a testament of the _Geno Saurer's_ power . The remaining armor was thrown out by plasma breath. But Phaia didn't give in. She pivoted and fired her Gauss rifle at the Backdraft from point-blank range. A thunderous boom emanated from the impact, the _Geno Saurer_ teetered behind as the Gauss slug eviscerated the beast. Phaia swung to the other direction, firing her lasers in quick succession. Heat waste leaked into the cockpit, making her sweat stream from her pores. But the _Geno Saurer_ limped groggily. Phaia defied the heat and fired her Gauss rifle squarely at the _Saurer's_ torso, blasting the main power line to the lower body. A dozen of explosions rocked the _Geno Saurer_, turning it into a walking bonfire.

A rain of ballistics and missiles flogged Darien's _Executioner_ as Sander's guns flashed in unison. Three missiles and more than three dozen cannon rounds slammed into the battlemech's right torso. Pieces of armor flew in every direction, giving clear access to its internal structures. The _Executioner_ staggered as its coolant pump exploded, spreading an orange fireball and fiery goo to a wide area. Greenish coolant oozed out like blood from its shoulder, and acrid smoke started to replace the fireball, billowing out from the breached shoulder. But Darien hoisted both arms and whipped the twin LBX-20 cannons at Sander's right side. The _Elephander_ roared as Darien's fragmented shells ripped the armor and breached its left leg. Losing balance, the big Zoid lurched to the ground. Darien backpedaled and fired his lasers at the _Elephander's_ neck. Static charges leapt from the wound, a sure sign of mangled power cord. The _Elephander_ shook, then lost its power.

With both their commander taken out, the rest of the Backdraft turned their backs from the battlefield and fled.

"Jamie, you got Nikolai?" Bit yelled.

"Save and sound," Jamie replied. "With proper care, he'll be back in no time."

"Take him to our dropship," Darien said. "You have done enough."

"As you wish, Commander," Bit replied. "Glad to help."

Jamie landed his Raynos near the Wolf dropship, then gently put Nikolai down. Some dropship crews came out and took Nikolai into the dropship. Phaia waited until the crews cleared the ramp, then pushed her throttle forward. Mikhail and Darien followed her into the dropship. The bay door closed, and two minutes later the dropship flew into the sky.

"We lost one _Timber Wolf_ to the locals," Phaia stated the obvious as she exited her _Shadow Cat_. "We have to find it."

"The most important thing is to get out of this planet," Darien replied. "We are already a week behind schedule. I do not want to waste anymore time with these Zoidians. As soon as we can figure out how to plot a jump sequence to Arc Royal, we leave."

Just then, the dropship's tactical officer called through the speaker, "Ovkhan, a heat signature from the _Timber Wolf_ is captured by our radar. It is going toward the Blitz Team."

"Harry Champ!" Phaia hissed with fury. "Take this dropship back to the ground! I will mince his head! Nobody steals from the Wolf!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter XVII**

_**Outside Romeo City,  
Planet Zi**_

The Blitz Team plus Naomi was about to enter the hover cargo when an unprecedented voice echoed throughout the barren land, "Bit Cloud! Your end is near! Come out and fight me, Bit Cloud!"

"Harry?" Bit scrubbed his eyes upon seeing the _Timber Wolf_ marching toward the hover cargo. "How did you get that thing?"

"Mortified, Bit?" Harry replied in a wry chuckle. "You think you own the best Zoids in Planet Zi. Well, not anymore! This _Timber Wolf_ will crush your _Liger Zero_! And I, Harry Champ, will finally become the undisputed king of Zi!"

"You stole it from the Wolves!" Leena pointed out. "Harry, how can you be so dumb? Your act will give us a bad name, and they will see us as enemies!"

"I do this for you, Leena!" Harry replied. "I will prove once and for all that Bit Cloud is nothing more than a fraud that hides behind an Ultimate-X, and I am the better man for you! Come out, Bit Cloud! Fight me!"

Suddenly the Wolf dropship ripped the cloud formation and descended from the sky in white glory. The smoke enveloped the dropship as it touched the ground. From behind the smoke curtain the _Shadow Cat_ burst into the open, sprinting toward the _Timber Wolf_ with furious gallops.

"Step away, Bit Cloud!" Phaia roared from her comlink. "Harry Champ is mine!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Harry stuttered. "I already issued a challenge to Bit! You can't fight me! That's against your rules of engagement!"

"You are not an honorable warrior," Phaia hissed her reply. "You stole Wolf's property. Thus, you are not bound to honor anymore. I do not have to obey _zellbrigen_ in dealing with such a _freebirth_ scum like you! Now fight me, Harry Champ, or I will tear your heart out with my Gauss rifle!"

"You have to wait your turn, Miss Phaia," Bit said. "He is fighting me first."

"Neg. You will step away, and I will fight him. If you refuse, then I will move for a Trial of Possession. You have seen the power of my gun, Bit Cloud. You will not try again if you are wise."

"No, but I will if I have to," Bit stepped forward, facing Phaia's _Shadow Cat_ in a challenging posture. "And we both know that your _Shadow Cat_ has sustained damage from the engagement with the Backdraft. If you are wise, you will not try to press your luck, because you too have seen the power of _Liger Zero_."

Phaia knew that she was at a disadvantage. Bit was right about her mech. The _Shadow Cat_'s armor was stripped by the _Geno Saurers_ she fought earlier. She knew she could beat Harry Champ, but before she did that, she had to go past Bit and _Liger Zero_. Even if she could beat _Liger Zero_, her damage would be too extensive to continue the fight with Harry. She had to offer something out of the fight so Bit would back down.

"I will give you the right of _isorla_," Phaia said. "Keep the _Timber Wolf_, or what will be left of it. But let me kill Harry."

"No," Bit repulsed. "The _Timber Wolf_ is yours, so take what's yours and leave Harry for us. That way, nobody lose anything."

As much as Phaia hated it, she realized Bit's offer made more sense. She knew she did not have any better offer, so she decided to take it. "Fine. But I demand no interference. Any of you who foolishly step into the circle of equal will have to fight me as well. Such is the way of the Clan."

"Have it your way," Bit stepped back, followed by Leena, Brad, and Naomi, leaving Harry alone with Phaia.

Wasting no time, Harry erected her _Timber Wolf_ and unleashed his missiles. Phaia jumped to safety, letting the warheads grazed the ground where she stomped on moments before. Harry smiled and flattened his trigger. His missile launchers flashed, sending traces of bright light toward the _Shadow Cat_. A chunk of armor flew as Harry's lasers stabbed Phaia from the back. Phaia twisted right, but Harry fired his lasers repeatedly. High-energy beam strands peppered the _Shadow Cat_ from every direction, turning the last remaining armor into metal goo and torched its entire right shoulder. Smoke billowed up as fire raged on uncontrollably. Phaia twisted back to the opposite direction, only to meet three missiles. Splinters of smashed structures were flung into every direction as Phaia staggered to be on her feet, but never once its fighting spirit left her.

"You are foolish to think that you can beat me in this _Timber Wolf_," Harry found confidence in his fighting plan. "Your _Shadow Cat_ is almost finish, and this fight will end in a minute. I'm giving you a chance to withdraw your challenge and let me fight Bit Cloud, before it's too late!"

"Bold words, _freebirth_," Phaia sneered. "But proove nothing."

Harry mashed his trigger in childlike gusto, sending myriad missiles and beams at Phaia's depleted mech. But he never discovered the weakness of the _Timber Wolf_. Temperature spiked up uncontrollably, and before Harry realized what was going on, the 75-ton battlemech lost power.

"What is wrong with this thing?" Harry punched the start button repeatedly, with no result.

Feeling the right moment, Phaia punched her triggers with a sadistic smile. Her lasers stabbed the _Timber Wolf_ in the cockpit, weakening the canopy, and her Gauss slug flew in murderous speed at the bedazzled Harry. In her entire life, Phaia had never fired a single round at the cockpit of another mech, out of respect of Clan's rule of engagement. But Harry showed such a low quality that she didn't think he deserved the honor of a Clan. She watched in satisfaction as her Gauss slug flew toward the cockpit, but a millisecond before impact a shadow jumped right in front of Harry and blocked her shot.

_Liger Zero._

"I told you _no interference!_" Phaia roared, her hands gripped her joystick tight. "Get out of my way, _freebirth!_"

"You promise you will spare him," Bit replied as _Liger Zero_ emitted a low growl, ready for an all-out battle. "That shot could've killed him. When you chose not to honor our agreement, how can you expect us to keep our promise?"

"Harry Champ does not deserve this treatment of yours!" Phaia snapped. "He is a genetic waste that..."

"We know what kind of man Harry is," Bit interjected. "But that is not your problem. You got Nikolai and your _Timber Wolf_ back. That is what we agreed, and I suggest you take what are yours. Leave Harry for us. We can take care of him."

Phaia realized that her wrath had taken much of her dignity. She had let her feelings took control of her action. Her fury subsided, she realized she had shamed her Clan and her unit by disregarding rule of engagement. Her commander would disapprove her action, and might give her a disiplinary action. Nevertheless, there was one right thing to do.

"Very well," she sighed, knowing that her grudge would never be solved. "I will leave him in your hands. My technicians will collect the _Timber Wolf_."

"Harry, get out of that thing before you kill yourself with it," Bit said, half quipping.

This time, Harry knew that his escapade would end up in anguish. He climbed out of the _Timber Wolf_, his face dipped down into his chest, shading his face from unrecoverable shame.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter XVIII**

_**Outside Blitz Team HQ,  
Planet Zi,**_

Harry Champ sat on the passenger seat of a jeep, sinking his face low to hide his red face. His plan to humiliate Bit Cloud backfired, and his one-shot attempt at immortality turned out to be a blunder. Yes, he got his immortality, but as a dreaming loser, and from now on he would always be remembered as the man that betrayed his own kins. A traitor of humanity.

"Thank you for saving my brother," Mary Champ said, nodding appreciatively at Bit. "We have enough fortune to pay for your generosity."

"No trouble in my part, really," Bit winked at Harry. "If you would stop chasing Leena, I'll call it even."

"You sonofabitch!" Harry fizzled. "This is not over yet, Bit Cloud. You win this round, but I will come back. I will never give up Leena!"

"Alright, just go home before I regret my decision to save your ass," Bit tapped the jeep, and Mary rolled the vehicle, taking her begrudged brother back to their home.

"That's a little unexpected," Leena commented. "You could've let Phaia chomp Harry's ass and we'll be free of him. That's what I would've done. Why did you save him?"

"What he did to us if very low, but he doesn't deserve to die," Bit took a deep breath. "I hope he'll be ashamed enough to show up around our base, or follow you around for that matter."

"That's very big of you," Leena smiled. "Honestly, Bit, the Wolf aliens brought the best of you. I'm surprised at your galantry when you're fighting your heart out to save my father, Harry, and myself."

"You do?" Bit grinned. "Does that deserve... another kiss?"

"Greedy boy," Leena sneered, her face flushed. "Alright, you deserve it."

Leena leaned forward to give Bit a kiss on the cheek, but Bit anticipated it by shoving his own lips at Leena's. A small cry escaped Leena's lips as their lips melted into each other's. She tried to resist, but Bit quickly wrapped his hands around her shoulder, restraining her retreat. That, and the surprisingly warm feeling finally turned her resistant cold. For a good minute, she enjoyed the sensation, until Bit decided to stop.

"Bit…" she whispered.

"Shh..." Bit replied with a smile, and continued the interrupted kiss. This time, Leena let it flow, and together they floated into a new world where nobody existed but themselves.

* * *

**_Wolf Clan jumpship,  
Orbit of Planet Zi_**

"I dug some data about Zi's coordinate in space," Doc Taros said on the communication screen. "It might not compatible with your data, but at least it can give you an idea how to plot your jumping sequence back to Arc Royal. I'm sending the data as we speak."

"Your generosity is much appreciated, doctor, " Darien replied. "I apologize for any discomfort that we might have caused you."

"There's no need to apologize," Doc Taros smiled. "You're simply lost, and we Zoidians are happy to lend a hand to troubled strangers. But next time," he paused briefly to clear his throat, "tone down your attitude when you're in somebody else's home. We could've avoided all confrontations if you just knocked and asked nicely."

"We will keep that in mind," Phaia responded. "Yuri and Nikolai are recovering, and soon they will be able to resume duty."

"Glad to hear," Doc Taros nodded his approval. "You sure you can't stay? The Royal Cup is around the corner. You can watch the game."

"We are ten days behind schedule," Darien said. "The Refusal War with the Jade Falcon Clan is far from over, and our place is on the front line. But we will consider your offer. If we can find our way back to Planet Zi, we will give you a visit sometime."

"That'll be fine. Goodbye, Wolf warriors."

"Goodbye doctor," Darien cut off the comlink. He turned to the jumpship's tactical officer, "Can you use the data Doctor Taros sent us?"

"Like he said, ovkhan, it is not compatible to our chart," the tac officer mumbled while punching buttons and flicking toggles. "But we are able to plot the general vicinity of Arc Royal. We are setting up a jump sequence."

"General vicinity," Phaia mused. "Does that mean there is no guarantee of arrival at Arc Royal?"

The tactical officer looked at Phaia's face, and from his gaze Phaia knew that only bad news awaited. "We coul be trapped in hyperspace forever. We could end up in a star, a black hole, an uncharted territory, or..." he gulped before he continued, "a weird place like Zi."

"Ovkhan?" Phaia turned to Darien, hoping that the commander have more comfortable news.

"This is the only data we have," Darien responded, his voice was riddled with regret. "We do not have a choice."

Phaia knew he was telling the truth. He looked at Darien, and understood the burden the star commander had to carry. The entire ship was his responsibility. He made radical decisions that Phaia could challenge in a circle of equal, but she knew he did it for the sake of everybody. "I failed you, ovkhan. I brought shame to our unit. But whatever waits for us at the end of the jump, know that I am with you. It is a privilege to serve Wolf Clan under your command."

"Duly noted, Phaia," Darien nodded. "Take this as a hard lesson when you are leading your own unit.

Phaia could only smile. "Fire up jump sequence when ready."

"Jump sequence initiated in five..." the tac officer pushed the throttle to maximum. "Four... three... two... one... engage!"

Strands of light zipped past the ship, and Phaia closed her eyes as the jumpship was enveloped in brilliant light.

* * *

**_Romeo City,  
Planet Zi_**

"I'm glad this is over," Naomi Fluegel said, standing on top of a building, throwing her view at the bright light in the sky. "I hope the Wolves will make it to wherever they intend to go. Lucky for you, they thought the Backdraft beat Nikolai, not you. I'm surprised that Nikolai didn't tell them the truth."

"Yeah," Brad Hunter replied unenthusiastically, watching the hyperspace door dimmed to darkness. "Interesting people, the Wolves were. Too bad we don't have a chance to know them better. Their technology is very interesting. And Phaia is one hell of a sniper. Strong willed, smart, can shoot like nobody's business, although a little too ambitious…"

"You seem to pay a lot of attention to her."

Brad sighed. "What do you want me to say then, Naomi? That I don't have feeling for her of any kind?"

Naomi retracted her eyes, watching the glimmer in the sky. She knew she would never see Phaia again. But the fact that Brad still talked about Phaia annoyed her. It was not like Brad liked Phaia. The Wolf Clan sniper was blunt, arrogant, and obscenely bloodthirsty at times. There was no chance Brad Hunter would fall for Phaia.

But still, Naomi had to ask. "Should I duel Phaia, who do you think will prevail?"

Brad glanced over his shoulder, looking into Naomi's pretty eyes, and flashed a smile, "Does it matter?"

Naomi gave him a puzzled look. "I just want to know where you stand."

"I already have my sniper," Brad grinned. "Winning or losing a duel doesn't matter to me."

It was everything Naomi wanted to hear. She leaned her head on Brad's shoulder, enjoying the afternoon breeze that danced around her hair. Brad wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and took the liberty to kiss the red-hair girl.

His sniper.

**THE END**

* * *

Well, that's it for now. Thank you very much for **_Death Jester, Shadrach, Moonyasha_**, **_SulliMike23_**, and **_Archerygrl_** for the encouraging reviews. Also for readers that enjoy this little story, thanks for reading. Please drop me a line, tell me what you think, and tell me where I can improve.

Like I mentioned, this story is after Episode 16 of Zoids New Century Zero storyline. So after this story, the Blitz Team and friends continued their adventure to Episode 17 up to the end. As much as I want to, I can't kill Harry Champ yet because he has to make appearance for the rest of the episodes.

What happened to the Wolves, then? Well, if you are interested in reading more, their adventure continued to **I, Kerensky** in _MechWarrior/BattleTech_ universe. You can find it in MW/BT section, or just simply click my homepage on my profile, and you'll see the complete version of **I, Kerensky** with pictures. _Yes, pictures! _

Currently I am writing the sequel **I, Ke2ensky **in MW/BT section, so I don't know if I will do another Zoids story. But if you have an idea, PM me or send me email to talk about it. I'll be happy to work with you.


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